TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the potential of recovering 1-butanol from aqueous solutions by liquid demixing upon addition of carbohydrates or salts
AU - Oudshoorn, Arjan
AU - Peters, Marjolein C.F.M.
AU - van der Wielen, Luuk A.M.
AU - Straathof, Adrie J.J.
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - BACKGROUND: Fermentative production of 1-butanol yields dilute aqueous solutions. Recovery of the butanol from these solutions is most commonly performed by energy-intensive distillation. This work investigated the liquid-liquid (L-L) phase behavior of mixtures of butanol and water to explore the potential of using L-L phase separation as a recovery possibility for 1-butanol. The phase behavior is preferably influenced by compounds already present in the fermentation, such as carbohydrates and salts. RESULTS: The L-L phase equilibria of butanol and water were determined in the presence of glucose, fructose, sucrose, NaCl, LiCl and CaCl2. The aqueous and organic phase split is more pronounced in the presence of salts than in the presence of carbohydrates. Demixing is achieved with about 0.3 kg salt kg-1 aqueous phase containing 40 g of butanol. CONCLUSION: Operation of L-L based recovery using salts or carbohydrates requires extreme concentrations of those compounds. For feed material containing 40 g kg-1 butanol, the tested carbohydrates do not influence the phase equilibria sufficiently to allow butanol separation. Fermentative butanol concentrations up to 70 g kg-1 are required to create an effective L-L phase split. The remaining residual aqueous carbohydrate solution might be used as feed for a following fermentation.
AB - BACKGROUND: Fermentative production of 1-butanol yields dilute aqueous solutions. Recovery of the butanol from these solutions is most commonly performed by energy-intensive distillation. This work investigated the liquid-liquid (L-L) phase behavior of mixtures of butanol and water to explore the potential of using L-L phase separation as a recovery possibility for 1-butanol. The phase behavior is preferably influenced by compounds already present in the fermentation, such as carbohydrates and salts. RESULTS: The L-L phase equilibria of butanol and water were determined in the presence of glucose, fructose, sucrose, NaCl, LiCl and CaCl2. The aqueous and organic phase split is more pronounced in the presence of salts than in the presence of carbohydrates. Demixing is achieved with about 0.3 kg salt kg-1 aqueous phase containing 40 g of butanol. CONCLUSION: Operation of L-L based recovery using salts or carbohydrates requires extreme concentrations of those compounds. For feed material containing 40 g kg-1 butanol, the tested carbohydrates do not influence the phase equilibria sufficiently to allow butanol separation. Fermentative butanol concentrations up to 70 g kg-1 are required to create an effective L-L phase split. The remaining residual aqueous carbohydrate solution might be used as feed for a following fermentation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79953726277&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/jctb.2577
DO - 10.1002/jctb.2577
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79953726277
SN - 0268-2575
VL - 86
SP - 714
EP - 718
JO - Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology
JF - Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology
IS - 5
ER -