Biobutanol from sweet sorghum bagasse hydrolysate by a hybrid pervaporation process

Abstract

In this study, the pervaporation membrane was used not only for the detoxification of sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) hydrolysate, but also for butanol separation from its fermentation broth. As a result of detoxification, about 94.5% furfural was reduced by the pervaporation method, and 138.25 g/L furfural was obtained in the permeate side. 87.5% phenolic compounds were degradated by further laccase detoxification. As for fermentation part, 12.3±0.1 g/L butanol, 6.1±0.05 g/L acetone and 2.5±0.07 g/L ethanol were obtained. And after 2h of pervaporation separation, 201.9 g/L butanol, 76.2g/L acetone and traces of ethanol were obtained in the permeate. The hybrid pervaporation process shows promising for the industrial production of biofuel butanol and biochemical furfural.

Keywords: Acetone–butanol–ethanol fermentation; Clostridium acetobutylicum; Detoxification; Pervaporation.