CARBOHYDRATES AND FERMENTATION INDUSTRIES 329 Te ar BA Dy ay 1. ae ge “ 220% Ethanay Fig. IID-4, Eihyl alcohol by fermentation Partial Condenser or Dephlegnator Preheat Excharger Condenser ¢ Pp H Scanned by CamScannerNATURAL PRODUCT INDUSTRIES 3.1.2. Petroleum processing * — Catalytic hydration of ethylene * Esterification and hydrolysis of ethylene * Oxidation of petroleum 3.2. Ethyl Alcohol by Fermentation 3.2.1. Reference flow sheet: Figure IIID-4 3.2.2. Chemical reactions (a) Main reaction CHO), + HzO PEM, 2041.05 CoH, 2™*, 20,H,0OH + 2CO,, AH = 31.2 Keal (b) Side reactions 2C6Hi.0, + JO ROH + R‘CHO higher mol. wi. alcohols 3.2.3. Quantitative requirements | (@ Basis: 1 ton of 100% alcohol (1.26 kiloliters) and 90% yield from total sugar Molasses (50-55% total sugar) 5.6 tons Sulfuric acid (60° Be) 27 kg Ammonium sulfate 2.5 kg Coal 0.7-1.5 tons Process water 12 tons Cooling water 50 tons Electricity 35 KWH By-products: CO, 0.76 ton Fusel oil (higher mol. wt. alcohols) Residual cattle feed or fertilizer 0.20-0.60 ton (b) Plant capacities: 10-100 tons/day of ethyl alcohol 3.2.4. Process description Molasses is diluted to a 10-15% sugar concentration and adjusted to a pH of 4-5 to support yeast growth which furnishes invertase and zymase catalytic enzymes. Nutrients such as ammonium and magnesium sulfate or phosphate are added when lacking in the molasses. This diluted mixture, called mash, is run into large wooden or steel fermentation tanks. Yeast solution, grown by inoculating sterile mash, is added and fermentation ensues with evolution of heat which is removed via cooling coils. ‘The temperature is kept at 20-30°C over a 30-70 hour period, rising near the end to 35°C. Carbon dioxide may be utilized as a by-product by water scrubbing and compressing; otherwise it is vented after water scrubbing. Separation of the 8-10% alcohol in the fermented liquor called beet is accomplished by a series of distillations. In the beer stil, alcohol (50-60% conc.) and undesirable volatiles such as aldehydes are taken off the top and fed to the aldehyde still. Alcohol is pulled off as a side-stream split to the rectifying column. in this final column, the azeotropic alcohol-water mixture of 95% ethanol is taken Scanned by CamScannerCARBOHYDRATES AND FERMENTATION INDUSTRIES aI off asa top sidestream, condensed and run to sorage where iti split into three Pars) direct sale a8 potable, government controlled alcohol (2) denatured by small additions of mildly toxic ingredients and sold for industrial uses (3) _ made anhydrous by ternary azeotropic distillation using benzene oF extractive distillation using ethylene glyce When fuse ol ecovery Is practiced, side-streams ute drawn off near the bottom of the akchyde and rectifying column und are separated by decantation, "Thee highet molecular weight alcohols ure sold directly for solvents or wes frecionmead to sive predominantly amyl alenhot “The botioms from the beer still, Known &$ slops, are either discharged as waste or concentrated by evaporation to catle feed depending on fucl and by-product sales 3.2. Major engineering problems * Collection and storage of molasses + Maintenance of sterile and specific yeast culture conditions Batch versus continuous operation: ‘continuous molasses dilution in the | head end of the process and continuous distillation are incorporated to save space, equipment and operating costs ‘+ Waste disposal problem: if uneconomic to concentrate for cattle feed, rust use trickling filers, activated sludge or anaerobic digestion to lower the biological oxygen demand (BOD) before discharging to water run-off ‘+ Fuel economy inthe series of dstilations: use of preheat exchangers | ‘+ Development of methods to produce anhydrous elcobol from the 95% leoholazeotrope 4. Economics of Ethyl Alcohol Industry 4.1. Choice of Process Six possible processes were listed in Section 3.1. Alechol by fermentation in India is limited to sucrose substrate because of insufficient supplies of starch and paper mill | Wastes. This type of process furnished the bulk of alcool requirements until the late 1960's when alcohol from petroleum processing became available in India. ‘The reason for this witchover Is that the inherently small ethanol producing plants widely distributed throughout sugar cane producing areas of India cannot compete with the cost of ethanol Produced in & large capacity plant of a petrochemical complex. Furthermore, it is impossible to supply the entire future demand for alcohol from agricultural raw material For example, in 1963, the synthetic rubber plant at Bareilly used nearly all of the alcohol in U.P. State for its preparation of butadiene and ethylene. Femmesiation alcohol served a good purpose in starting off the orgeaic chemical indo of India ‘saved foreign exchange, and developed technical knowhow ey incomporate inthe larger plants based on petroleum. ‘Ths pater is identified ‘ecorded in the USA, Japan, and othe highly industrialized counties Sted "i that 4.2. ‘Trends in Ethanol Industry Growah in India At present there are about 127 units (at the end of 1990. With an installed capacity of 744 millon liters, Y manufacturing alcohol Scanned by CamScannerODUCT INDUSTRIES i Karnataka have been the Med that in the Coming yeary plus alcohol 332 NATURAL PI Until now Unar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tent Nals Se i adhe Pradesh will Have 5U pose and potable leading alcohol produ only Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madb availabiliy ce "The prodution and coasumption trend of alcbol (oe nt le purpose) in the country during the past few years has Production and Consumption Trend of Alcohol (MG. Liters) Tndustial re 1985-86 578 24 4 1986-87 616 247 p20 198788 636 413 1988-89 798 381 416 1989-90927 Est) 452 a4 Source: “SBF Handbook of Projects Jor Corporate Diversfication™ (1992) In the past fw years many sew sugar units Lave come up in the country and many existing spar mill have expanded eit capaciy.” This ie expected 10 Tncrease the Availablity of molten the country Funke, some new chemical and allied industial unis are coming up in te country which wil ie alobol asthe main aw matt, namely, the SM Dyechem’'s new glycol unit at Pane will ee aboot 1,000 lth tere of lho! per annum, DCW wants to expand its capacity for production of PYC via alcohol rule, VAM Organic also waats to go for ausive expansion an diversification The shortage of alcohol in he country afte alcohol usr chemical units and consequent low production of ool bated chemicals. This resin wastage of procs forign exchange inthe impor of thes chemicals For instance, in the lt fw years, Reliance has imported about 10,000 tons of acetic acid sd TPCL has imported 3,000 tons of mbt As pr the “Perspective Pas for Chemical Industry (up wo 2000 indus alcool inthe county is expected Wo ise to aboss (8 per annum by 1998-95 and 1980-2000 seperti AD)” the demand for 00,000 KL and 24,00,000 KL. Fermentation Products from Petroleum Scanned by CamScanner