Method for producing high concentration alcohol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836694-B2
Application number	US-201916525085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

The present invention aims to improve the production capacity of alcohol in a method of producing high concentration alcohol using a distillation column and an adsorption-desorption column. The method is a method of producing high concentration alcohol by dehydration of a water-alcohol mixture, including: a distillation step of introducing a water-alcohol mixture into a distillation column to obtain crude alcohol; and an adsorption-desorption step of introducing a part of the crude alcohol into an adsorption-desorption column to obtain high concentration alcohol; wherein a further part of the crude alcohol is introduced into a dehydration apparatus to obtain high concentration alcohol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing high concentration alcohol by dehydration of a water-alcohol mixture, the method comprising:
distilling a water-alcohol mixture in a distillation column to obtain a first crude alcohol;
adsorbing and desorbing a first part of the first crude alcohol in an adsorption-desorption column to obtain a first high concentration alcohol, as a part of the high concentration alcohol, and a desorbed liquid; and
dehydrating the desorbed liquid, mixed with a second part of the first crude alcohol, in a first dehydration apparatus to obtain a second high concentration alcohol, as a part of the high concentration alcohol,
wherein the high concentration alcohol has a higher alcohol concentration than the water-alcohol mixture and the crude alcohol.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dehydration apparatus is a first membrane separation apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing the desorbed liquid into a second dehydration apparatus to increase the alcohol concentration of the desorbed liquid, and obtain an increased alcohol portion;
mixing the increased alcohol portion with the first part of the first crude alcohol, to obtain a combined stream; and
introducing the combined stream into the first dehydration apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
introducing a permeate from the first dehydration apparatus into the second dehydration apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
combining a second crude alcohol from a further distillation column with the second part of the second crude alcohol, is introduced into the first dehydration apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-alcohol mixture is a mixture obtained by alcohol fermentation in a fermenter.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crude alcohol obtained in the distillation step has an alcohol concentration of not less than 50 wt. %.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crude alcohol obtained in the distillation step has an alcohol concentration of not more than 95 wt. %.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first high concentration alcohol has an alcohol concentration of not less than 98 wt. %.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desorbed liquid has an alcohol concentration in a range of from 30 to 80 wt. %.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount in a range of from 10 to 40 wt. % of the crude alcohol obtained by the distilling is mixed with the desorbed liquid and introduced into the first dehydration apparatus.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second high concentration alcohol has an alcohol concentration of not less than 98 wt. %.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mixture comprising the desorbed liquid and the first part of the first crude alcohol, introduced into the first dehydration apparatus, has an alcohol concentration of not less than 50 wt. %.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mixture comprising the desorbed liquid and the first part of the first crude alcohol, introduced into the first dehydration apparatus, has an alcohol concentration of not more than 94 wt. %.

15. The method of claim 3 , wherein the increased alcohol portion has an alcohol concentration of not less than 40 wt. %.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desorbed liquid has an alcohol concentration within ±40 wt. % of an alcohol concentration of the first crude alcohol.

17. The method of claim 3 , wherein the increased alcohol portion has an alcohol concentration of within ±40 wt. % of an alcohol concentration of the first crude alcohol.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dehydration apparatus is a first membrane separation apparatus.

19. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second dehydration apparatus is a first membrane separation apparatus.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Chem Corp

Inventors

• Yamamura Tadafumi
• Hidaka Hideto
• Kakiuchi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• Y02E50/10

  Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel · CPC title

• C07C29/76 Primary

  by physical treatment · CPC title

• B01D61/363

  Vapour permeation · CPC title

• B01D71/0281

  Zeolites · CPC title

• C12P7/06

  Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage · CPC title