title: A novel method for furfural recovery via gas stripping assisted vapor permeation by a polydimethylsiloxane membrane.
abstract: Furfural is an important platform chemical with a wide range of applications. However, due to the low concentration of furfural in the hydrolysate, the conventional methods for furfural recovery are energy-intensive and environmentally unfriendly. Considering the disadvantages of pervaporation (PV) and distillation in furfural separation, a novel energy-efficient 'green technique', gas stripping assisted vapor permeation (GSVP), was introduced in this work. In this process, the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane was prepared by employing water as solvent. Coking in pipe and membrane fouling was virtually non-existent in this new process. In addition, GSVP was found to achieve the highest pervaporation separation index of 216200 (permeate concentration of 71.1 wt% and furfural flux of 4.09 kg m(-2) h(-1)) so far, which was approximately 2.5 times higher than that found in pervaporation at 95°C for recovering 6.0 wt% furfural from water. Moreover, the evaporation energy required for GSVP decreased by 35% to 44% relative to that of PV process. Finally, GSVP also displayed more promising potential in industrial application than PV, especially when coupled with the hydrolysis process or fermentation in biorefinery industry.
authors.affiliation: National energy R&D center for biorefinery, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: National energy R&D center for biorefinery, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: National energy R&D center for biorefinery, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: National energy R&D center for biorefinery, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shufeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National energy R&D center for biorefinery, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Peiyong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
authors.forename: M Nazmul
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.affiliation: National energy R&D center for biorefinery, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Tianwei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tan
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