Process for the recovery of low-boiling point components from an ethanol stream
AssigneeBraskem S.A.
InventorsRenata Pinto Da Silva Matos, Thiago Bezerra Taketa, Felipe Galzerani, Adler Gomes Moura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure provides a process for the production of ethanol and one or more low boiling compound from a fermentable carbon source. The ethanol and the low boiling compound(s) are produced using an ethanol-producing yeast modified to further produce the one or more low boiling point compounds. In one embodiment, the low boiling compound(s) are acetone, 1-propanol, and/or 2-propanol. Additionally, the disclosure provides a process for the isolation ad purification of the one or more low boiling compounds from ethanol.
Claims20
A process for the isolation of one or more low boiling compounds from a fermentation broth and a fermentation off-gas, the process comprising:
- (a) flowing a fermentation off-gas coming from one or more fermenters through a product recovery unit wherein the flow of the off-gas is counter to a solvent flowing through the product recovery unit and obtaining a solvent stream comprising the one or more low boiling compounds and ethanol;
- (b) mixing the solvent stream of (a) with the fermentation broth and passing the resulting fermentation mixture through a first separation unit to form a high water content stream comprising about 30-90% w/w water, ethanol, and the one or more low boiling compounds;
- (c) passing the high water content stream of (b) through a second separation unit to form an intermediate water content stream comprising water, ethanol, and the one or more low boiling compounds;
- (d) passing the intermediate water content stream of (c) through a dewatering unit to form a low water content stream comprising ≤2.5% w/w water;
- and
- (e) passing the low water content stream of (d) through one or more operational units, separating the ethanol and the one or more low boiling compounds;
- wherein the process further comprises recycling a gas stream output from at least one of the first separation unit, the second separation unit, or the dewatering unit to the product recovery unit.
A process for the production and isolation of ethanol and one or more low boiling compounds, the process comprising:
- (a) contacting a fermentable carbon source with an ethanol-producing yeast in a fermentation medium;
- (b) fermenting the carbon source by the yeast in the fermentation medium of (a) to produce a fermentation broth and a fermentation off-gas comprising ethanol and the one or more low boiling compounds;
- (c) flowing the fermentation off-gas coming from one or more fermenters in (b) through a product recovery unit wherein the flow of the off-gas is counter to a solvent flowing through the product recovery unit and obtaining a solvent stream comprising the one or more low boiling compounds and ethanol;
- (d) mixing the solvent stream of (c) with the fermentation broth and passing the resulting fermentation mixture through a first separation unit to form a high water content stream comprising about 30-90% w/w water, ethanol, and the one or more low boiling compounds;
- (e) passing the high water content stream of (d) through a second separation unit to form an intermediate water content stream comprising water, ethanol, and the one or more low boiling compounds;
- (f) passing the intermediate water content stream of (e) through a dewatering unit to form a low water content stream comprising ≤2.5% w/w water;
- and
- (g) passing the low water content stream of (f) through one or more operational units, separating the ethanol and the one or more low boiling compounds;
- wherein the process further comprises recycling a gas stream output from at least one of the first separation unit, the second separation unit, or the dewatering unit to the product recovery unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.