Process development and technical-economic evaluation of the butanol production by IBE (isobutanol-butanol-ethanol) fermentation

• Grant number: 16/08791-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Adriano Pinto Mariano
• Grantee: Ercília Regina Silva Dantas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The n-butanol from green source, an advanced biofuel, is conventionally produced by ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation. The economic viability of this process faces challenges such as an high product inhibition in the fermentation stage, low productivity and income, and high substrate costs. Furthermore, the coproduct acetone cannot be used as a fuel because it can cause corrosion of engines. From the market point of view, an n-butanol production in a range to satisfy the fuel market would cause an oversupply of the coproduct acetone. Based on these disadvantages, an interesting alternative is the n-butanol production by IBE (isopropanol-butanol-ethanol) fermentation. The IBE mixture can be used directly as a biofuel since it does not contains acetone. However, technical limitations persist. The purpose of this project is to develop and to evaluate technical and economically a process with advanced fermenter technology for the production of n-butanol lignocellulosic by IBE fermentation. The process to be developed by computer simulation will be based on the "flash fermentation" technology with in-situ product recovery, looking for energy savings through the elimination or drastic reduction of IBE toxicity to cells and for more efficient condensation of the vapors generated in the recovery . The technical-economic analysis will provide a perspective on productivity, energy efficiency, generation of vinasse, cost estimation and economic indicators. The project will include not only a comparison between the conventional process and developed, but also the evaluation of the new process of IBE Production integrated with an ethanol plant and a Kraft pulp plant, by using, respectively, sugarcane bagasse and eucalyptus as a raw material.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SILVA DANTAS, ERCILIA REGINA; BONHIVERS, JEAN-CHRISTOPHE; MACIEL FILHO, RUBENS; MARIANO, ADRIANO PINTO. Biochemical conversion of sugarcane bagasse into the alcohol fuel mixture of isopropanol-butanol-ethanol (IBE): Is it economically competitive with cellulosic ethanol?. Bioresource Technology, v. 314, OCT 2020. (16/08791-5, 15/20630-4, 18/23983-3, 17/27092-3)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

DANTAS, Ercília Regina Silva. Process development and techno-economic analysis of butanol production by IBE (Isopropanol-Butanol-Ethanol) fermentation. 2018. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química Campinas, SP.