Evaluation of Ion-Exchange and Adsorbent Resins for the Detoxification of Beet Distillery Effluents

Abstract

Batch isotherm experiments were carried out to select the best chromatographic supports for the purification of beet distillery condensates with the aim of recovering fermentable water. Adsorption parameters of four inhibitory solutes of the condensates chosen as targets were obtained, leading to the selection of a weak anion-exchanger and a polystyrenic resin. These results were further used for the chromatographic scaleup. Dynamic adsorption experiments run on both resins with a synthetic mixture of the four target solutes showed the presence of competition for the adsorption. The extended Langmuir model was then found to be applicable for a first estimation of the solute breakthrough. The treatment efficiencies of the two supports were confirmed with an industrial condensate, indicating components in the effluent that were not considered did not significantly affect the adsorption of the main compounds. Eventually, a combination of the two complementary resins was proposed for complete effluent detoxification.