A low-cost solid-liquid separation process for enzymatically hydrolyzed corn stover slurries

Area of Science:

• Biomass conversion
• Chemical engineering
• Separation processes

Background:

• Solid-liquid separation of lignocellulosic biomass slurries is crucial for biofuel production.
• Lignin-rich cakes in corn stover slurries impede filtration, reducing process efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of polyelectrolyte flocculant in improving the filterability of corn stover slurries.
• To assess the impact of improved filtration on the overall cost-effectiveness of biofuel production.

Main Methods:

• Treatment of corn stover slurries with polyelectrolyte flocculant.
• Filtration experiments to measure filterability and flux.
• Techno-economic analysis to determine production cost changes.

Main Results:

• Polyelectrolyte treatment increased mean particle size and filterability of slurries.
• Filtration flux improved approximately 40-fold, increasing filter unit capacity.
• Overall fuel production costs were significantly reduced, especially for challenging alkaline pretreated slurries.

Conclusions:

• Polyelectrolyte flocculation is an effective strategy to overcome filtration challenges in lignocellulosic biomass processing.
• Improved solid-liquid separation via flocculation leads to substantial reductions in biofuel production costs.
• This method enhances the economic viability of converting biomass to transportation fuels.