Page 172 - CW E-Magazine (11-2-2025)

Special Report

(with 20 wt% of water) gave excellent
reversibility yielding a CO absorption
2
capacity of 0.268 g CO /gm absorbent.
2
This absorbent has potential for fuel
gas. (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2024; DOI:
10.1021/acs.iecr.4C00962).

A perspective on downstream
processing performance for
recovery of bioalcohols

T. Jankouic et al (Prof. A.A. Kiss group,
which has made notable contributions
in separation technology) have referred
to the bioalcohols vs those obtained via alternative to alternative processes. authors have concluded that RD followed
petrochemical route. In the case of the (Chem. Eng. Processing – Pro- by a hybrid distillation-pervaporation
production of bioalcohols one has to face cess Intensification, 2024, 20 July, system can save 24% energy compared
low product concentration, microorga- 109809; DOI:10.1016/j.cep.2024. to RD with pressure swing separation.
nisms, impurities, and thermodynamic 109809). (Chem. Eng. Processing – Process
constraints (e.g., azeotrope formation). Intensification, 2024, 201, July, 109832;
These authors have taken concentration Optimal design and operation DOI:10.1016/j.cep.2024.109832).
of 6.14, 5.00, 1.61 and 0.24 wt% ethanol, of reactive distillation (RD)
isopropanol, isobutanol and hexanol, systems and reactive divided Reactive crystallisation (RC)
respectively. The total purification costs wall (RDW) systems with process of Li CO from LiCl
increase from US$0.080 per kg for etha- pressure swing distillation and Na CO 2 3
nol, US$0.109 per kg for isopropanol, 2 3
US$0.161 per kg for isobutanol and and hybrid distillation- T.A. Graber et al have referred to the
US$0.529 per kg for hexanol. Process pervaporation title reaction to get Li CO from brines.
3
2
intensification is a necessity to make the F. Duanmu et al have investigated hybrid The reaction was conducted at 55-85°C.
process viable. (J. Chem. Technol. Bio- RDW column and have studied reversi- and LiCl and Na CO concentration
2
3
technol., 2024; DOI: 10.1002/jctb.7690). ble reaction with a homogeneous mini- were 1.54-2.53 moles per litre. The
mum boiling azeotrope. For downstream crystallisation mechanism is discussed.
Optimisation of the bioethanol purification, both pressure swing distil- Conditions to get pure Li CO are deline-
dehydration process using lation and a hybrid distillation-pervapo- ated. (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2024; DOI:
3
2
MgCl as mass separating ration process are considered. These 10.1021/acs.iecr.3C04109).
agent 2
[Ethanol dehydration is usually done
through distillation to get the azeo-
tropic mixture, which, in turn, can be
converted to absolute alcohol via azeo-
tropic/extractive distillation, adsorption
separation using zeolite and even by
pervaporation.]
J.J. Herreera-Velazquez et al have come
out with a new strategy using MgCl for
2
dehydration. E-NRTL model was used to
study interactions between the salt, etha-
nol and water. MgCl is an innocuous
2
chemical used in the food industry to
process Tofu. MgCl .12H O is a feasible
2
2
172 Chemical Weekly February 11, 2025

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