Abstract
As an alternative to gasoline, bioethanol can be produced from lignocellulosic biomass through hydrolysis using an ionic solution containing zinc chloride (ZnCl2). This method allows for a high yield of glucose from lignocellulose, but entails the removal of ZnCl2 from the hydrolysate using multiple nanofiltration membranes before the fermentation of glucose. This paper presents a mathematical technique for designing such a multistage membrane separation system. The optimization model for the synthesis of membrane networks is based on a superstructure with all feasible interconnections between the membrane units, and consists of mass balances, logical constraints and product specifications. A case study of the separation of a bagasse hydrolysis solution is used to demonstrate the application of the proposed model. Results show that using both types of nanofiltration membranes allows higher ZnCl2 removal ratios at each membrane unit, hence a decrease in the number of membrane units required and a reduction of about 35% in capital cost compared to the cases in which only one membrane type is used. Further analysis is performed to examine the effect of membrane performance on the economics of the separation system.
Highlights
Published: 18 January 2021With declining petroleum resources and the pursuit of clean energy, researchers have paid more attention to developing efficient technology for alternative fuels
This ionic solution is much cheaper than conventional ionic liquids, and can achieve a more than 90% high yield of glucose from lignocellulosic biomass [4]
With a much higher ZnCl2 removal ratio, the product specifications are met with only six membrane units, a considerable cost reduction of 30.2% compared to the solution for scenario 3 of case 1
Summary
With declining petroleum resources and the pursuit of clean energy, researchers have paid more attention to developing efficient technology for alternative fuels. Biomassderived sugars are considered a crucial raw material for liquid biofuel production through biological and chemical conversion. Conventional sugar crops may not be preferred due to the competition with food uses. Lignocellulosic biomass (e.g., energy crops, agricultural waste and forest residues) can be a good source of sugars. Lignocellulose is one of the most abundant plant-based materials on earth, amounting to approximately 200 billion metric tons annually [1]. Technological advancements in converting lignocellulosic biomass to sugars for biofuel production are expected to provide a promising solution to energy autonomy
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