Sugar Liquid Purification via Reverse Osmosis Membrane Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing sugar liquids from cellulose-containing biomass face challenges due to the presence of fermentation-inhibiting substances like furan compounds, organic acids, and phenolic compounds, which decrease fermentation yields and require high energy for removal.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of nanofiltration and/or reverse osmosis membranes to separate and remove fermentation-inhibiting substances from the sugar liquid, adjusting the pH and temperature to enhance the removal efficiency, and utilizing membranes with polyamide functional layers for effective separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional methods (overliming, evaporation) are used to remove fermentation-inhibiting substances, then some removal effect is achieved, but energy consumption increases and removal efficiency remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the separation parameters by using nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes with specific pore sizes and charge characteristics. By adjusting operating parameters such as pressure, pH, and temperature during membrane filtration, the process achieves high removal efficiency of fermentation-inhibiting substances with lower energy consumption compared to conventional evaporation methods
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal evaporation process (mechanical/thermal system) with membrane filtration (physical separation system). This substitution eliminates the need for high-temperature heating while achieving superior separation performance through the selective permeability of nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes
2Reliability
If membrane filtration is used to remove fermentation-inhibiting substances, then removal efficiency improves, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the removal process into two distinct stages: nanofiltration for initial concentration and removal of larger molecules, followed by reverse osmosis for final purification of smaller molecules. This segmentation allows each membrane type to be optimized for its specific function, achieving high overall removal efficiency while maintaining manageable process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane filtration system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it removes fermentation-inhibiting substances, concentrates the sugar liquid, and clarifies the product in a single integrated process, replacing multiple separate treatment steps
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 approach results in a purified sugar liquid with reduced fermentation-inhibiting substances, improving the efficiency of fermentation processes and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a step of filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from the feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from the permeate side
Implementation Method 2
a step of filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from the feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from the permeate side
Implementation Method 3
utilizing membranes with polyamide functional layers for effective separation
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material includes (a) hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution and (b) filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from a feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from a permeate side.