Distillation Profile Research Articles

Preliminary Investigation of Fruit Mash Inoculation with Pure Yeast Cultures: A Case of Volatile Profile of Industrial-Scale Plum Distillates.

This study investigates the effect of pure yeast culture fermentation versus spontaneous fermentation on the volatile compound profile of industrially produced plum brandy. Using traditional distillation methods, the evolution of key volatile compounds is monitored at seven different moments during the distillation process. By integrating advanced analytical techniques such as GC-MS and sensory evaluation, significant differences in the composition of the distillates are highlighted, particularly in terms of ethyl esters and higher alcohols which are key to the sensory properties of the final product. Distillates produced with the addition of pure cultures gave higher concentrations of esters than those obtained by wild fermentation. The results of our industrial research show that the most critical step is to limit the storage of the input raw material, thereby reducing the subsequent risk of producing higher concentrations of 1-propanol. Furthermore, our results indicate that the heart of the distillate can only be removed up to an ethanol content of approximately 450 g/L and that the removal of additional ethanol results in only a 10% increase in the total volume of the distillate, which in turn results in an increase in boiler heating costs of approximately 30%.

The influence of raw materials on the biochemical profile of distillates

This study focuses on exploring novel ingredients for the production of safe, high-quality alcoholic beverages and enhancing the processes involved in fermenting beverages. These efforts aim to support local community development initiatives targeting food security, food sovereignty, and small businesses. The article presents the technology for producing distillates from vegetative raw materials, integrating digital technologies for quality control across all manufacturing stages. Distillates were obtained using the “Minispirtzavod Simpl 2018 set “Authentic” equipment, featuring remote control capabilities and a built-in Wi-Fi module. The quality of distillates derived from various vegetable raw materials, including grapes, apples, wheat, and birch sap, was evaluated through organoleptic analysis, assessing appearance, aroma, and taste. Gas chromatography was employed to determine the content of ethyl alcohol, furfural, methyl alcohol, aldehydes, ethers, and fusel alcohol in the distillates. The resulting distillates contained 40.9% to 43.5% vol.% ethanol and exhibited distinct aromatic profiles and flavors based on the vegetative raw material used. This diversity offers opportunities to expand the range of alcoholic products available.

Boiling point modeling for petroleum speciation data

An empirical model is presented for generating the boiling curve of a petroleum sample based on parameters that are experimentally available using typical speciation techniques. The approach estimates the boiling point distribution of the detected components and allows a comparison with the simulated distillation profile of the sample. The model is shown to predict the boiling behavior of the speciation-derived average components in crude oil distillation fractions, which match the measured average distillation temperature of the fractions. The model is then applied to generate boiling distributions, based on mass spectrometric and gas chromatographic speciation data, which match the measured simulated-distillation curves with less than 20 °C difference. The model is also applied to the isolated fraction of saturated compounds, where the modeled boiling profile matches well with the measured distillation profile of the entire sample. This confirms that the model, although built using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry data of aromatic compounds, extends to data obtained using comprehensive 2-dimensional gas chromatography, and also describes the boiling behavior of saturated compounds speciated by field desorption time of flight mass spectrometry. Consequently, the modeled boiling distribution enables an assessment of how well a speciation measurement describes the sample, and provides an estimation of lower and higher-boiling portions that have been omitted in the data set.

Analysis of the Relationship between the Low-Temperature Properties and Distillation Profiles of HEFA-Processed Bio-Jet Fuel

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mandate on jet fuel requires a gradual reduction in the fuel’s GHG emissions, up to 50%, by 2050. For this reason, the demand for bio-jet fuel blended with conventional petroleum-derived jet fuel will increase. In order to meet the quality requirement of blended fuels (ASTM D7566), modeling that can predict the correlation between properties is required. Our aim was to predict the low-temperature properties using the distillation profile results obtained from Simulated Distillation (SIMDIS) according to the carbon number and chemical compositions of bio-jet fuel through correlation and regression analysis. We used hydroprocessed ester and fatty acid (HEFA) bio-jet fuel and hydrocarbon reagents that included C8, C10, and C12 carbons and five main families of hydrocarbons for blended jet fuel. This study shows an overall trend for each component, indicating that the distilled volume fraction is more affected than the carbon number. In the case of the freezing point, by composition, n-paraffin and naphthene have regression coefficients of more than 0.85 for the 50% and 60% recovery temperatures, respectively. In terms of carbon number, the C8 sample has a significant regression coefficient for the 40% recovery temperature, and C10 has a significant regression coefficient for the initial boiling point (IBP) and 10% recovery temperature. In the case of kinematic viscosity, by composition, the regression coefficient is significant for the 20% to 40% recovery temperatures. For naphthene, the kinematic viscosity exhibited no relationship with carbon number. This information can be utilized to determine the blended ratio of bio-jet fuel and conventional jet fuel in newly certified or commercial applications.

Influence of the use of sulfur dioxide, the distillation method, the oak wood type and the aging time on the production of brandies

Brandies are spirits produced from wine spirit and wine distillates. The original wines selected to be distilled to produce the wine spirits as well as the distillation method used determine, to a large extent, the organoleptic characteristics of the final products. The young wine spirits evolve during their aging in oak casks, this being another key stage that affects the chemical and sensorial characteristics of the final brandy. In this work, seven different brandies have been studied. They were obtained from wine produced with and without the addition of sulfur dioxide, during their fermentation, using different distillation methods (single, double or serial distillation using pot stills and continuous column distillation) and aged for 14 or 28 months in three different types of oak wood (Quercus alba, Quercus robur and Quercus petraea) previously toasted to two different grades (medium or light).The use of unsupervised pattern recognition methods (HCA and FA) determined that the addition of sulfur dioxide during the fermentation of the base wine has a major influence on the aromatic and phenolic profile of the aged distillates. On the other hand, by means of supervised pattern recognition methods such as LDA and ANNs, the most significant variables that would allow to discriminate between the classes of brandies identified in the study were evaluated. Thus, the results obtained should cast some light on the most significant variables to be taken into account regarding Brandy production processes if a better control over these production processes is to be achieved, so that more exclusive and better quality products are obtained.

Numerical assessment of fuel physical properties on high-dilution diesel advanced compression ignition combustion

Using traditional lean air-fuel mixture aftertreatment technologies to reduce NOx at low exhaust temperatures is limited below 175°C. Recent low engine load NOx emission regulations encouraged researchers to explore the potential of fuel physical properties to enable low-temperature, low-NOx combustion under challenging conditions in which the selective catalytic reduction device might be unable to treat engine-out NOx. Three diesel range fuels were developed to explore how the distillation profile affects and may enable low-load diesel advanced-compression ignition. The least volatile fuel is a conventional, commercially available diesel #2 fuel with a cetane number of 45.3. The second-most volatile fuel is diesel #1 fuel, which can also be found commercially. The last fuel, which is the most volatile, is a new formulation designed to target a final boiling point approximately 50 K below diesel #1 fuel and was termed diesel #0 fuel. A computational fluid dynamics model was developed and validated against experimental data to investigate the underlying effects of each of the developed fuels in the combustion process. Finally, each fuel physical property (e.g., density, viscosity, etc.) was changed independently to assess its effect under the same operating conditions and identify potential directions for fuel formulation that may enable improved NOx emissions and reduce the reliance on aftertreatment systems for NOx control. The results showed that although changes in the fuel distillation curve and other physical properties affect the air-fuel mixtures substantially, changes were not sufficient to result in a large impact to low-load NOx formation. The maximum predicted NOx reduction was 11% uncorrected by combustion phasing. The results suggest that further research efforts should focus on changing the chemical properties of the fuel, like the cetane number, to allow higher EGR dilution and stable combustion.

Effects of rye cultivars and management intensity on volatile profile of rye-based spirit distillates

Polish rye grain was cultivated at two levels of management intensity: moderate-input and intensive-input management. Neither the rye cultivar nor the management intensity had a statistically significant effect on the chemical composition of the tested rye grains. The management intensity of rye cultivation did not influence ethanol production. The real yield of absolute ethanol (A100) from 100 kg of the tested rye cultivars was 30.73 ± 0.52 L for KWS Serafino rye grain (intensive management) and 37.14 ± 0.34 L for Antonińskie rye grain (moderate management). However, the concentrations of all volatile compounds in the distillates were significantly affected by the rye cultivar. Management intensity influenced the concentration of almost all carbonyl compounds, excluding acetaldehyde. The differences in the concentrations of esters and higher alcohols were mainly associated with the rye cultivar. The effect of rye cultivar and management intensity, as well as their interactions, influenced the content of methanol and the majority of carboxylic acids.

Low-waste technology for the production of bioethanol from sorghum grain: Comparison of Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in fermentation with stillage reusing

Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been used for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of sorghum grain with the reuse of the stillage. This study investigated the effects of replacing half the water by a stillage liquid fraction on ethanol yield and volatile compound synthesis. Studies have shown that Z. mobilis is more efficient in ethanol production (55.96–61.48 g/L) than S. cerevisiae (55.26–58.38 g/L). Additionally, Z. mobilis had the advantage of a shorter fermentation time (48 h) and lower fermentation temperature (35 °C) than distillery yeast. No relationship was observed between successive stillage reusing and ethanol content. Reusing the liquid fraction of the stillage did not increase the amount of volatile compounds identified in the raw distillates. Significant differences were observed in the volatile compounds profile of bacterial and yeast raw distillates. Acetaldehyde was the dominant compound in bacterial raw distillates, whereas 3-methylbutan-1-ol was the dominant compound in yeast raw distillates. The characteristic of Z. mobilis was the production of fewer (4.31–6.03 g/L spirit 100%) volatile compounds compared to yeast (4.04–7.44 g/L spirit 100%). The fermentation process reusing the liquid part of the stillage made it possible to reduce process water consumption and waste generation in bioethanol production from sorghum grain. In addition, Z. mobilis made ethanol production from sorghum grain grown in Eastern Europe more beneficial.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Wet Wastes

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) uses heat and pressure to liquefy the organic matter in biomass/waste feedstocks to produce biocrude. When hydrotreated the biocrude is converted into transportation fuels including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Further, by liquifying the organic matter in wet wastes such as sewage sludge, manure, and food waste, HTL can prevent landfilling or other disposal methods such as anerobic digestion, or incineration. A significant roadblock to the development of a new route for SAF is the strict approval process, and the large volumes required (>400 L) for testing. Tier α and β testing can predict some of the properties required for ASTM testing with <400 mL samples. The current study is the first to investigate the potential for utilizing wet-waste HTL biocrude (WWHTLB) as an SAF feedstock. Herein, several WWHTLB samples were produced from food waste, sewage sludge, and fats, oils, and grease, and subsequently hydrotreated and distilled to produce SAF samples. The fuels (both undistilled and distilled samples) were analyzed via elemental and 2D-GC-MS. Herein, we report the Tier α and β analysis of an SAF sample derived originally from a WWHTLB. The results of this work indicate that the upgraded WWHTLB material exhibits key fuel properties, including carbon number distribution, distillation profile, surface tension, density, viscosity, heat of combustion, and flash point, which all fall within the required range for aviation fuel. WWHTLB has therefore been shown to be a promising candidate feedstock for the production of SAF.

SimDis-HT Analysis of Crude Oils as a Tool to Define Operating Conditions for Primary Treatment Processes

The main objective of this article is to determine the true boiling point (TBP) curve of 08 crude oils (Campinas, Guaratingueta, Leme, Pacaembu, Poa, Registro, Sales, and Sertaozinho – fantasy names – names of cities in the Sao Paulo State, Brazil) by high temperature gas chromatography, using the high temperature simulated distillation (SimDis-HT) analysis (ASTM D7169). Knowing the initial boiling point (IBP), it is possible to determine the loss of volatile components during the process. Accordingly, the distillation ranges showed different classes of oils, with Registro being the lightest, with 98.8 % recovery, followed by Sertaozinho (93.2 %) > Leme (90.6 %) > Guaratingueta (89.7 %) > Poa (86.8 %) > Sales (84.1 %) > Pacaembu (74.8 %) > Campinas (57.1 %). Although Registro is considered the lightest oil (highest recovery), the oil that demonstrated the lowest IBP was Sertaozinho. Furthermore, Leme, Pacaembu, and Sertaozinho oils had their IBP around 40 oC, and Guaratingueta at 50 °C. Thus, these oils presented losses of light fractions at low temperatures (25 – 30 °C is the maximum temperature to avoid losses), limiting their processing in open and heated systems. Registro started to lose volatiles at 65 °C, and Campinas, Sales, and Poa at 75 to 80 °C. Therefore, these oils can be processed at higher temperatures (maximum of 60 °C), without suffering mischaracterization in open and heated systems. The distillation profile should not change after processing the oils, which means this analysis can provide important data to define the operating conditions of different types of processes (mainly in the primary treatment processes). Consequently, the SimDis-HT analysis can be considered as an efficient tool to find initial process parameters and to provide information for possible scale-up of processes with high temperatures and opened vessels.

Volatility criteria of isomerate-enriched gasoline-ethanol blends

In this study, four isomerate-enriched gasolines were formulated from the local refinery streams of Cairo Petroleum Refinery Co., Egypt. Each of these isomerate-enriched hydrocarbon gasolines were mixed with 10 vol% of anhydrous ethanol. Distillation data were collected for the eight formulated fuels using the standard ASTM-D86 distillation method. From these data, eight distillation profiles were constructed and subsequently eight distillation profiles equations, were developed. From these equations, areas under distillation curves for the hydrocarbon gasolines (AUDC)G and those for ethanol blended ones (AUDC)G-10E were estimated using calculus definite integration method. Accordingly, area due to azeotrope formation (ADAF) for each ethanol-blended fuel was calculated (AUDCG-AUDCG-10E). Also, vapor pressure, T(v/l) = 20, T50 and deriveability index (DI) of the fuel samples were studied. The results confirm that the volatility of all fuel formulations considerably increases with addition of 10 vol% ethanol while it slightly increases with the slight increase in the isomerate content.

Performance of Naphtha in Compression Ignition Modes Using Multicomponent Surrogate Fuel Model

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines have been considered a promising technology for achieving diesel-like efficiency with less NOx and soot emissions than diesel engines. In recent research, naphtha has emerged as a suitable fuel for GCI owing to its octane number and its potential to reduce CO2 and production costs. The present work develops a multicomponent surrogate fuel model for heavy and light naphtha fuels by matching their distillation profiles and covering the measured concentrations of the various hydrocarbon classes and properties. The developed naphtha multicomponent surrogate model shows better prediction results than the primary reference fuel (PRF) surrogate model and exhibits good agreement with the measured data. The performance of naphtha in compression ignition (CI) combustion modes is investigated using the surrogate model and engine experiments. Naphtha fuels under CI combustion modes show better soot, HC, and CO emissions than diesel owing to the longer ignition delay and higher burned gas temperature. Moreover, as naphtha fuels are less affected by the injection pressure, naphtha CI engines appear to operate at a lower injection pressure than diesel engines.

Novel Functional Group Contribution Method for Surrogate Formulation with Accurate Fuel Compositions

Current surrogate formulation methods usually adopt distillation profiles, density, viscosity, surface tension, molecular weight, research/motor octane number (RON/MON), cetane number (CN), heating...

White cement and burnt brick powder catalyzed pyrolysis of waste polystyrene for production of liquid and gaseous fuels

AbstractIn this study, two types of clinkered materials were used for the catalytic pyrolysis of wasted polystyrene. The objective of the work was to convert waste into useful resource using low cost but effective catalysts. The wasted polystyrene was used as a feedstock for pyrolysis. The catalytic and noncatalytic pyrolysis were carried out in a custom‐made pyrolysis reactor. Optimum conditions for the pyrolysis were investigated by varying the temperature, catalyst amount, and time of reaction. The used catalysts showed notable influence on the progress of pyrolysis reaction as compared with the noncatalyzed reaction. The gaseous fractions, produced during pyrolysis, were analyzed using different chemical tests. The oil fractions were analyzed through gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. The oil contained styrene as a major constituent along with some other derivatives of benzene. The oil product was separated into compounds through fractional distillation by generating the distillation profile.

Co-HTL of domestic sewage sludge and wastewater treatment derived microalgal biomass – An integrated biorefinery approach for sustainable biocrude production

Microalgal biomass as bioenergy feedstock is gaining wide attention for biocrude production through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). However, the availability of feedstock in all seasons is a major challenge. Hence, to ensure a consistent supply of feedstock and transform waste to energy, the present study investigates co-HTL of domestic wastewater treatment derived microalgal biomass (Monoraphidium sp. KMC4) and domestic sewage sludge (DSS) as bioenergy feedstocks. The effects of temperature, feedstock ratio, and residence time were studied and optimised for maximum biocrude yield. The study showed that, co-HTL at optimum operating conditions of 325 °C, 75:25 wt% (KMC4:DSS), and 45 min produced 39.38 wt% biocrude yield at a conversion rate of 83.96 wt%. The optimum biocrude yield was 16% and 79% higher than the individual HTL of KMC4 and DSS respectively. The comprehensive characterizations of co-HTL biocrude showed 76.77%, 10.6%, 8.85%, 3.38% of C, H, N, O and 39.47 MJ Kg−1 of HHV with an energy recovery rate of 77.53%. Meanwhile, co-HTL enhanced the distillation profile of biocrude which had 10.13% of heavy naphtha, 23.92% of kerosene, and 27.09% of gas oil. The FTIR and GC–MS analysis confirmed that the co-HTL biocrude had superior hydrocarbons such as alcohols and esters with limited nitrogen and oxygen heterocyclic compounds. In addition, ICP-AES confirmed a significant decrease in transfer of mineral elements from the co-HTL feedstock to biocrude. This validates the sustainability of the co-HTL process to produce high energy density biocrude with the potential to substitute fossil fuels.

Comparison of sorghum and maize raw distillates: Factors affecting ethanol efficiency and volatile by-product profile

The potential of sorghum grain in the production of bioethanol was determined in comparison to maize and as an alternative to it. The effects of the raw materials, the raw material cultivars, and the fermentation process on ethanol efficiency and volatile compound profile of the raw distillates were investigated. The ethanol yield proved to be strongly determined by the variety of the raw material and by the fermentation method. The SSF method with a weight to water ratio of 1:4 proved to be the most effective for ethanol production in the case of both maize and sorghum. The highest ethanol yield at 86.94% of the theoretical value, was obtained from maize; the value from sorghum was 80.15%. The fermentation method, though not the grain cultivar, had a significant effect on the volatile compound profile of the raw distillates. The raw distillates obtained using the SSF method at a ground grain to water ratio of 1:4 had the lowest concentration of esters and aldehydes. The average content of volatile compounds in the sorghum distillates was lower than in the maize distillates. This study emphasizes the great potential of sorghum, a maize alternative, as an energy plant in the distillery.

Supercritical fluid extraction of bitumen using chemically modified carbon dioxide

Surface minable oil sands are a significant source of heavy oil (bitumen) production in Canada. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) provides a potential means to recover bitumen, a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, from process and process waste streams generated during the extraction and processing of bitumen from surface mined oil sands. Dynamic extractions were conducted to determine the effect of two modifiers, toluene and methanol, on the extraction of hydrocarbons from bitumen using carbon dioxide (CO2) at supercritical conditions of 24 MPa and 333 K. Toluene was tested at concentrations of 5, 10 and 15 mol% whereas methanol was tested at these concentrations plus at 33.7 mol% in supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2). High temperature simulated distillation (HTSD) was used to determine the distillation profile of the extracted hydrocarbons. SC-CO2 only extracted 39 wt% of the bitumen while a methanol concentration of 33.7 mol% in SC-CO2 extracted 55 wt% and 15 mol% toluene in SC-CO2 extracted 76 wt% of the bitumen. Higher modifier concentrations lead to increased extraction efficiencies. Toluene consistently extracted more hydrocarbons than methanol. The hydrocarbons extracted when toluene was used as a modifier were consistently the heaviest hydrocarbon mixtures, with higher toluene concentrations increasing this compositional effect.

Distillates composition obtained of fermented Arbutus unedo L. fruits from different seedlings and clonal plants

The fruits of Arbutus unedo L., a shrub that grows spontaneously in countries around the Mediterranean basin, are traditionally harvested and used for the production of a distilled spirit. The main objective of this work is to compare the chemical profile of distillates obtained from fermented A. unedo fruits. Fifteen distinct distillates were obtained from ten clones and five seedlings, and they were evaluated, based on their physicochemical characteristics. An evident effect of plant propagation type (clone or seeds) on correspondent spirits analytical profile was not clearly achieved. However, the distillate composition variability seems connected to the plants variability. Furthermore, high significant effect of distillation time in all the variables measured was found, corroborating the importance of the splitting of the distillation fractions, as a good manufacturing practice. Regarding methanol, a harmful volatile compound, all the distillates obtained from the different clones or seedling fruits respected the legal limitations. From the principal component analysis, the first component seems to separate the distillates based on the pH and isobutanol, isoamyl alcohols and 2-phenylethanol which are the variables that presented the highest contributes to this component. The differences between the legal requirements and the amounts determined in these distillates could result from differences in the alcoholic fermentation microbiota.The high analytical quality, that some of the distillates showed, can be used by producers as a criterion to be considered in the future choice of plants to be implemented in new A. unedo orchards.

Quality aroma improvement of Muscat wine spirits: A new approach using first-principles model-based design and multi-objective dynamic optimisation through multi-variable analysis techniques

This work proposes a model-based methodology to produce recipes for Muscat wine distillations in Charentais alembics. The recipes were obtained by dynamic multi-objective optimisation of a multi-component first-principles model. Two multi-objective functions were developed considering chemical markers that define the aromatic characteristic of the distillates. The first function included three chemical markers characteristic of each distillation cut (head, heart and tail). The second considered a principal component analysis (PCA) applied to the chemical profile of Chilean commercial distillates. The optimal recipes were experimentally validated in an automatic Charentais alembic using a synthetic Muscat wine consisting of ethanol and water, plus six congeners. The experimental results indicated that by using model-based optimisation techniques, it is possible to obtain spirits with a chemical composition like some Chilean commercial distillates. In addition, the chemical composition of many commercial distillates was close to a Pareto front that defines a compromise between linalool, a characteristic Muscat floral aroma, and acetaldehyde, a head contaminant marker.

Impact of Alternative Fuel Blending Components on Fuel Composition and Properties in Blends with Jet A

One challenge in the deployment of alternative aviation fuels is the lengthy “fuel approval process”, which costs millions of dollars and can take many years as the exact effect of these alternative options on engine and framework is still an unknown. A candidate aviation fuel needs to pass the tests as deemed necessary by the ASTM D4054 Standard Practice. The fuel manufacturer faces the risk of not receiving the ASTM certification after significant financial and time investment, which currently acts as a considerable hindrance to broadening the alternative aviation fuel options in commercial and military aircraft. Approval tests are based on the fuel properties and fuel performance as there is currently a knowledge gap on fuel chemical composition–property correlations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to accomplish the first step in this target, i.e., to obtain a detailed chemical composition of four approved blending components (FT-SPK, HEFA, SIP, and ATJ) and their mixtures with Jet A using GC × GC-TOF/MS and GC × GC-FID. Infrared spectroscopy and principal components analysis were utilized as additional techniques to demonstrate the differences among the blending components and Jet A, further utilizing their infrared spectral features. Moreover, the main physiochemical properties were measured, such as distillation profile, density, viscosity, flash point, freezing point, and net heat of combustion. Lastly, the impact of the differences in chemical composition on these main fuel properties was discussed.