SBIR/STTR Phase I: Continuous Recovery of Bioethanol by Dephlegmator-Enhanced Pervporation

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will focus on the development of a commercially viable continuous process for bioethanol recovery. The proposed process will integrate a novel permeate condensation approach with the energy-efficient pervaporation technology. Due to increased interest in renewable fuels, domestic use of bioethanol is expected to grow steadily over the next decade. The primary processing steps, fermentation and ethanol recovery and purification are a significant component of the total cost of bioethanol production. Process improvements, such as incorporation of continuous fermentation and development of energy-efficient ethanol recovery technologies would reduce the production cost significantly. Successful completion of the project objective will lead to a reduction in the sizes of the fermentor and elimination of the distillation step, and consequently reduce the cost and enhance the energy efficiency of the entire bioethanol production process. The primary customers of the proposed technology will be the ethanol producers, but the technology has potential applications in the recovery of other fermentation-derived organic solvents as well.