Ethanol Purification from Fermentation Broth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional distillation methods are inadequate for achieving high purity ethanol from gas fermentation broths, which contain ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, thiols, and compounds with 3 or more carbon atoms, due to the similar boiling points and potential formation of azeotropes.
Innovation Solution
A multi-step separation method involving the removal of microbial biomass, followed by sequential removal of ethyl acetate through reaction with a base and distillation, thiols through adsorption or reaction to disulfide, methanol, and compounds with 3 or more carbon atoms by distillation, to recover high purity ethanol.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional distillation is used to separate ethanol from fermentation broth, then the process is simple and energy-efficient, but the ethanol purity cannot reach high levels due to similar boiling points and azeotrope formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the separation process into multiple sequential steps: (1) removing compounds with 3+ carbon atoms first, (2) then separating methanol and ethanol, (3) finally removing remaining impurities. This segmentation allows each distillation step to focus on specific components, achieving high purity ethanol that cannot be obtained through single-step distillation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary removal of compounds with 3 or more carbon atoms before the main ethanol-methanol separation. This preliminary action simplifies the subsequent distillation by reducing the number of components with similar boiling points, making it easier to achieve high purity ethanol in later steps
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple separation steps are implemented to achieve high purity ethanol, then the ethanol purity increases, but the process complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different separation strategies to different components based on their specific properties: compounds with 3+ carbon atoms are removed first due to their higher boiling points, then methanol and ethanol are separated exploiting their volatility differences, and finally trace impurities are removed. This localized approach optimizes energy use by targeting specific components at each stage rather than attempting to separate all components simultaneously
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively separates and purifies ethanol from fermentation broths, achieving high purity levels by utilizing multiple separation techniques in a specific order, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional distillation.
Implementation Method 1
removing ethyl acetate by reacting ethyl acetate with a base compound followed by distillation
Implementation Method 2
removing at least one thiol by adsorption
Implementation Method 3
The distillation process is based on the difference in the volatility, i.e., the difference in boiling point, of the components to be separated
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for recovering ethanol from a fermentation broth. The fermentation broth comprises microbial biomass, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, at least one thiol, and at least one compound having 3 or more carbon atoms. The method comprises separating at least microbial biomass from the fermentation broth to generate a process stream; removing, in any order, from the process stream: ethyl acetate by reacting ethyl acetate with a base compound followed by distillation; at least one thiol by adsorption or reaction to disulfide; methanol by distillation; compounds having 3 or more carbon atoms by distillation; and recovering ethanol by distillation; wherein the distillations may be conducted in a single column or two or more columns.