Ethanol absorption from CO2 using solutions of glycerol and glycols

CO2 stripping during fermentation is a possible way of increasing the production of ethanol in distilleries. Ethanol, water, and carbon dioxide are the main compounds in the exiting gas mixture. To date, few studies have proposed the use of absorption to recover ethanol from this mixture or have considered different absorbents for this purpose. This work evaluates different absorbent solutions used to recover ethanol vapor from CO2 gas. Glycols and glycerol can provide easier separation of ethanol than water, with lower distillation energy demand. A statistical experimental design was used to compare the mass transfers of ethanol from the gas phase to the liquid phase, using solutions of glycerol, ethylene glycol, and diethylene glycol. High concentrations of these substances did not favor the absorption of ethanol. The best results were achieved with 25% absorbent solutions, which offered better options than water for the recovery of ethanol from CO2 gas in absorption columns and could increase the productivity of first generation bioethanol production.