NONFOULING CERAMIC MEMBRANES FOR TREATMENT OF FUEL ETHANOL STILLAGE

A WELL-ESTABLISHED PROCESS WITHIN THE CORN PROCESSING INDUSTRY IS THE PRODUCTION OF FUEL ETHANOL THROUGH FERMENTATION OF SUGARS. IN ADDITION TO THE PRODUCT ETHANOL, THESE FACILITIES PRODUCE A LARGE VOLUME OF AN AQUEOUS, BIOMASS-CONTAINING STREAM, KNOWN AS STILLAGE, WHICH MUST BE PROCESSED TO RECOVER SOLIDS USED FOR ANIMAL FEEDS. DURING PHASE I, A SERIES OF A NOVEL, LABORATORY SCALE, CERAMIC CROSSFLOW MEMBRANES WILL BE DEVELOPED USING MEMBRANE COATING CHEMISTRIES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO PRODUCE NONFOULING BEHAVIOR WHEN APPLIED TO TREATMENT OF FUEL ETHANOL STILLAGE. TESTS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS USING STILLAGEFROM A FUEL ETHANOL PLANT. DURING PHASE II, PRODUCTION SCALE MEMBRANES WILL BE FABRICATED AND TESTED AT A FUEL ETHANOL PRODUCTION FACILITY.