Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC

Butamax (tm) Advanced Biofuels LLC

Yihui Tom Xu

William David Parten

Joseph J Zaher

Michael Charles Grady

Bruce M Vrana

A process for recovering butanol from a mixture of a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a noncondensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof An overhead stream from a first distillation column is decanted into two liquid phases. The wet butanol phase is returned to the first distillation column as reflux. A bottom stream from the first distillation column is refined in a second distillation column to obtain a second overhead stream and a second bottoms stream. The extractant may be Cto Cfatty alcohols, Cto Cfatty acids, esters of Cto Cfatty acids, Cto Cfatty aldehydes, and mixtures thereof.

Recovery of butanol isomers from a mixture of butanol isomers, water, and an organic extractant

A process for recovering butanol from a mixture of a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. An overhead stream from a first distillation column is decanted into two liquid phases. The wet butanol phase is refined in a second distillation column; the aqueous phase is returned to the first distillation column. A portion of the wet butanol phase from the decanter is also returned to the first distillation column. The extractant may be Cto Cfatty alcohols, Cto Cfatty acids, esters of Cto Cfatty acids, Cto Cfatty aldehydes, and mixtures thereof.

Systems and methods for separating an alcohol, and in particular butanol, from a fermented feed and concentrating thin stillage into syrup includes operation of one or more alcohol recovery distillation columns using the heat supplied by steam generated from concentration of the thin stillage in a multi-train, multi-effect evaporation system.

Methods for alcohol recovery and concentration of stillage by-products

A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. An overhead stream from a first distillation column is condensed to recover a mixed condensate. An entrainer is added to at least one appropriate process stream or vessel such that the mixed condensate comprises sufficient entrainer to provide phase separation of the organic and the aqueous phases to provide for recovery of the butanol.

Recovery of butanol from a mixture of butanol, water, and an organic extractant

A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. The extractant comprises at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of Cto Cfatty alcohols, Cto Cfatty acids, esters of Cto Cfatty acids, Cto Cfatty aldehydes, and mixtures thereof.

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Newark, DE, United States of America

Yihui Tom Xu