Intensive use of biomass feedstock in ethanol conversion: The alcohol–water, vapor‐phase separation

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Abstract
Fermentation of ethanol in a system whereby the biomass is used intensively (both to separate alcohol from water by vapor phase adsorption and to serve as the feedstock) is shown to be possible on theoretical grounds when the biomass is grain. The rationale for a vapor-phase adsorption process as an alternative to distillation is shown to be energetically valid above 84 wt % ethanol. The capacity of grain in new vapor-phase ambient adsorption processes was estimated experimentally with the finding that sufficient capacity exists for the intensive use but that the adsorption is dynamically controlled so that the grain form and particle size are important. Pretreatments such as explosive dehydration improve the transfer of water to the grain in adsorption with potential improvement in the efficiency of liquefaction and saccharification. At room temperature, these sorbents are not perfectly selective for water but adsorb ethanol which will be carried to the liquefaction, saccharification, and fermentation with the feedstock.