title: Downstream process options for the ABE fermentation.
abstract: Butanol is a very interesting substance both for the chemical industry and as a biofuel. The classical distillation process for the removal of butanol is far too energy demanding, at a factor of 220% of the energy content of butanol. Alternative separation processes studied are hybrid processes of gas-stripping, liquid-liquid extraction and pervaporation with distillation and a novel adsorption/drying/desorption hybrid process. Compared with the energy content of butanol, the resulting energy demand for butanol separation and concentration of optimized hybrid processes is 11%-22% for pervaporation/distillation and 11%-17% for liquid-liquid extraction/distillation. For a novel adsorption/drying/desorption process, the energy demand is 9.4%. But all downstream process options need further proof of industrial applicability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria anton.friedl@tuwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Friedl
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D000440:Butanols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000379:methods; D057168:Distillation / Q000379:methods; D005285:Fermentation
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D000440:Butanols
keywords: ABE fermentation; biobutanol; downstream process optimization; gas-stripping; liquid–liquid extraction; pervaporation