Purification of 2,3-butanediol from fermentation broth: process development and techno-economic analysis

Area of Science:

• Biochemical Engineering
• Separation Processes
• Techno-economic Analysis

Background:

• 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BDO) is a valuable bio-based chemical with growing market applications.
• Current challenges in 2,3-BDO production include low concentrations in fermentation broths and difficult recovery.
• Cost-effective purification is essential for the commercial viability of bio-based 2,3-BDO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and analyze a novel purification process for 2,3-BDO from fermentation broth.
• To compare the techno-economic performance of a hybrid extraction-distillation (HED) process with conventional distillation.
• To identify an optimal solvent for the HED process through systematic selection and validation.

Main Methods:

• Development and optimization of conventional distillation and HED configurations using Aspen Plus.
• Implementation of a systematic solvent selection methodology based on experimental data.
• Techno-economic analysis including Total Annual Cost (TAC) optimization.
• Validation of property methods (NRTL, UNIQUAC) using experimental data.

Main Results:

• The hybrid extraction-distillation (HED) process, with an extraction column preceding distillation, effectively removes water.
• Oleyl alcohol demonstrated high distribution coefficient and selectivity, making it the optimal solvent for HED.
• The proposed HED configuration reduced reboiler duty by up to 54.8% and TAC by 25.8% compared to conventional distillation.
• Despite a 9.5% higher capital cost, HED significantly improved overall process economics.

Conclusions:

• Oleyl alcohol is the preferred solvent for HED of 2,3-BDO due to its favorable properties.
• The developed HED process offers a significant improvement in energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness for 2,3-BDO purification.
• The proposed purification strategy is suitable for the commercial-scale production of 2,3-BDO from fermentation.