ETHANOL PROCESSING WITH VAPOUR SEPARATION MEMBRANES

摘要

In a process for removing water from ethanol, a distillate is fed to a gas separation membrane unit. Permeate from the membrane is compressed and used as heating steam for further distillation. The membrane unit may have two or more stages. Permeate from a stage may be condensed and used as fermentation make up water, compressed and fed to the permeate from an upstream stage or heating steam, or fed to another membrane stage for further dewatering.