A REVIEW: MEMBRANE DISTILLATION FOR ETHANOL SEPARATION FROM FERMENTATION BROTH

Fermentation of biomass is a well known technique used to produce the ethanol that can be used as an energy source to fulfill the energy demand of the rapidly expanding population and fuel demand of the transportation sector. Continuous ethanol separation from the fermentation broths can enhance the efficiency of the fermentation process. Membrane distillation in combination with the fermentation process may be the effective technique for ethanol separation. Membrane distillation is a separation process in which liquid mixture is vaporized by providing heat and vapour molecules are transferred through the microporous membrane. The required driving force for the Membrane distillation is vapour pressure difference across the microporous membrane which is induced by the temperature difference. Membrane distillation is commercialized for various applications such as desalination, wastewater treatment and in the food industry. This process is also applicable for various fields like Crystallization, treatment of dye effluents, Arsenic removal from aqueous solution and contaminated groundwater, Recovery of aroma compounds, Separation of azeotropic mixture. This review emphasized on various Membrane distillation configurations, membranes used in membrane distillation, their characteristics and performance parameters for ethanol separation from fermentation broth.