Process to remove product alcohols from fermentation broth

• US 9,962,623 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gevo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC (International Flavors & Fragrances Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zaher, Joseph J., Barr, Steven Christopher, Sylvester, Robert W., Hurley, Aidan
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/363,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20140311889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/001 Processes specially adapted for distillation or rectification of fermented solutions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/002 by continuous methods
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/065 Multiple-effect flash distillation (more than two traps)

Abstract

The present invention relates to processes to remove butanol and other product alcohols from a fermentation broth employing vacuum vaporization.

Claims

1. A method for removing a product alcohol from a fermentation broth comprising:

(a) at least partially vaporizing a fermentation broth or a portion thereof to form one or more vapor streams, wherein the vaporizing comprises;

(i) vaporizing the fermentation broth or a portion thereof by one or more pre-flashes; and

(ii) vaporizing the fermentation broth or a portion thereof by a flash;

wherein the vapor streams comprise one or more components selected from product alcohol, water, and carbon dioxide;

(b) contacting the one or more vapor streams with an absorption liquid selected from fatty acids, fatty esters, 2-ethyl hexanol, isolauryl alcohol, isocetyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, phenol, glycerol, glycol, dialkyl acetamide, N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl) acetamide, di-isobutyl isobutyramide, tri-butyl phosphate, tri-isobutyl phosphate, potassium carbonate, and mixtures thereof, wherein at least a portion of the one or more vapor streams is absorbed into the absorption liquid to form an absorption liquid phase; and

(c) recovering the product alcohol from the absorption liquid phase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pressure of the flash is lower than pressure of the one or more pre-flashes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sparging the one or more pre-flashes with a non-condensible gas.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the fermentation broth of step (a)(i).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the non-absorbed vapor stream.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising distilling the absorption liquid phase comprising the one or more absorbed vapor streams to remove at least a portion of product alcohol, water, and carbon dioxide from the absorption liquid.

7. A method for removing a product alcohol from a fermentation broth comprising:

(a) at least partially vaporizing a fermentation broth or a portion thereof to form one or more vapor streams, wherein the vaporizing comprises;

(i) optionally vaporizing the fermentation broth or a portion thereof in a first pre-flash at a first pressure P1;

(ii) vaporizing the fermentation broth or a portion thereof in a second pre-flash at a second pressure P2; and

(iii) vaporizing the fermentation broth or a portion thereof in a flash at a third pressure P3;

wherein the one or more vapor streams comprise product alcohol, water, and carbon dioxide;

(b) contacting the one or more vapor streams with an absorption liquid selected from fatty acids, fatty esters, 2-ethyl hexanol, isolauryl alcohol, isocetyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, phenol, glycerol, glycol, dialkyl acetamide, N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl) acetamide, di-isobutyl isobutyramide, tri-butyl phosphate, tri-isobutyl phosphate, potassium carbonate, and mixtures thereof, under vacuum conditions wherein at least a portion of the one or more vapor streams is absorbed into the absorption liquid to form an absorption liquid phase; and

(c) recovering the product alcohol from the absorption liquid phase.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third pressure P3 is lower than the second pressure P2.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising

distilling the absorption liquid phase comprising the one or more absorbed vapor streams to remove at least a portion of product alcohol, water, and carbon dioxide from the absorption liquid.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising sparging the first pre-flash with a non-condensible gas.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising heating the fermentation broth of step (a)(ii).

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising compressing the non-absorbed vapor stream.