Advanced downstream processing for sustainable ethyl acetate production by fermentation

Tamara Janković, Adrie J.J. Straathof, Anton A. Kiss*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

Ethyl acetate is a platform chemical conventionally obtained through fossil fuel routes, but more recently its production by fermentation from carbohydrates has been scaled up to a pilot scale. Yet, the complexity of downstream processing (low product concentrations in liquid broth and in off-gas, azeotrope formation, and the presence of microorganisms) may complicate industrial application. This original theoretical study is the first to develop advanced downstream processing, based on process intensification principles, for large-scale recovery (~10 kton/year) of ethyl acetate after fermentation. To minimize product losses, ethyl acetate is separated from both the liquid broth and off-gas. The final purification is performed in a highly integrated azeotropic dividing-wall column. The economic and sustainability analysis shows that using refrigeration for initial product separation from the gas phase is more cost-effective (~0.61 $/kg) and less energy-intensive (2.20–2.40 kWthh/kg) than compression combined with high-pressure condensation using chilled water (1.09 $/kg and 9.98 kWthh/kg).

Original languageEnglish
JournalAIChE Journal
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • aerobic fermentation
  • azeotropic dividing-wall column
  • downstream processing
  • ethyl acetate
  • refrigeration

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