Work

Recovery of Isoamyl Alcohol by Graphene Oxide Immobilized Membrane and Air-Sparged Membrane Distillation

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Isoamyl alcohol is an important biomass fermentation product that can be used as a gasoline surrogate, jet fuel precursor, and platform molecule for the synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. This study reports on the use of graphene oxide immobilized membra (GOIMs) for the recovery of isoamyl alcohol from an aqueous matrix. The separation was performed using air-sparged membrane distillation (ASMD). In contrast to a conventional PTFE membrane, which exhibited minimal separation, preferential adsorption on graphene oxide within GOIMs resulted in highly selective isoamyl alcohol separation. The separation factor reached 6.7, along with a flux as high as 1.12 kg/m2 h. Notably, the overall mass transfer coefficients indicated improvements with a GOIM. Optimization via response surfaces showed curvature effects for the separation factor due to the interaction effects. An empirical model was generated based on regression equations to predict the flux and separation factor. This study demonstrates the potential of GOIMs and ASMD for the efficient recovery of higher alcohols from aqueous solutions, highlighting the practical applications of these techniques for the production of biofuels and bioproducts.

Source: Membranes

DOI: 10.3390/membranes14020049

Authors: Mitun Chandra Bhoumick, Sumona Paul, Sagar Roy, Benjamin G. Harvey, Somenath Mitra

Institutions: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division

Language: English

Topic: Membrane Separation Technologies

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,069