Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Treatment by living organism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-24
2001-05-15
Lilling, Herbert J. (Department: 1651)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Treatment by living organism
C071S010000, C071S026000, C210S607000, C210S609000, C210S696000, C435S161000, C435S162000, C435S262000, C435S276000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231765
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns a process for obtaining water-reducer, fluidizer, dispersant, tensio-active, adhesive and agglutinant agents from residual or by-product effluents which are produced by the result from distillation of concentrates used in alcohol manufacturing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The most commonly used process for industrial manufacturing of alcohol at distilleries comprises the following general steps:
Admission and treatment (clearing, water dilution and sulphuric acid addition) of molasses from sugar cane processing plants.
A fermenting step wherein the yeast is added to the diluted solution in order to ferment the sugars, as well as sulphuric acid to lower the pH of the diluted solution to about 3.7-4.5.
Fermentation produces alcohols, particularly ethanol and non-fermented products.
In alcohol distillation, approximately a 12 liters of residue per liter of alcohol is produced. A medium-sized distillery produces 50,000 liters of alcohol a day which is equivalent to 600,000 liters of residual effluents. This residue is highly pollutant due to its high oxygen chemical requirements (OCR) and oxygen biological requirements (OBR).
Its qualitative composition is as follows:
Water,
Wornactive-out yeast remainders,
Non-fermented products,
Other organic products, ketones, medium or high molecular weight unmatched alcohols, which were eliminated during production due to toxicity.
Products joined to the sugar or starch from the beginning of the process, as liquid compounds in the primary product (molasses or beetroot, barley, potato honeys etc.) in the form of non fermentable juices (sugars) which are incorporated into the main raw material in order to separate them later from the alcohols obtained.
Sulphates and other sulphur compounds from the sulphuric acid reaction that were added for product clearing and pH control.
Various cations either from the original plant or added as a part of the distillation process such as K,Na,Mg,Ca,Fe, etc.
These effluents ferment almost spontaneously and produce very unpleasant sulphurous odors and due to their OCR and OBR are highly pollutant in their capacity for taking oxygen from the environment, affecting flora and fauna. A medium-sized distillery as aforementioned, which produces 50,000 liters of alcohol a day has a contamination level equal to a city of 500,000 inhabitants.
At certain sites, where the distillery is located near plantations, residuals are used to irrigate these plantations.
Nevertheless, this use is not considered appropriate due to the disagreeable odor which, they emit and high transport costs. The most common method for eliminating these residuals consists of uncontrolled disposal into rivers, seas and swamps causing severe environmental damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The residuals in their aqueous state and unconcentrated constitute a relatively large percentage (4%-15% in weight) in products which are polymers forming a polymeric complex, which comprises polysaccharide chains, saponin or sapogenin chains, phenolic and dextran group compounds as well as their salts.
The main aim of the invention focuses on two objectives as follows:
1) to eliminate contaminant products;
2) to extract from them useful products which, are to be utilized in different industrial processes and which can also be marketed or re-used.
In order to do this, residuals are treated to achieve the following purposes:
A large volume of water to be re-used at the distillery;
Products designed for industrial application derived from the different polymers utilizing their water-reducer or fluidizer, tensio-active, dispersant, adhesive and binding features.
The balance varies from one distillery to other, concerning to the quantities and composition of raw materials being utilized, but it is near to:
82% industrial water;
14% dispersant, tenso-active, adhesive and industrial agglutinant agents, as an active component;
4% precipitates.
A part of the invention process concentrates the effluent and eliminates water-excess leaving up to 14% water which together with the 14% of active material aforementioned as dispersant, tensio-active, adhesive and agglutinant agents make an equal parts solution, that is, a 50% solution.
The active component of the water-reducer, fluidizer, dispersant, tensio-active, adhesive and agglutinant agents is a certain polymeric complex having a molecular weight ranging from 700 to 150,000 gr/mol. Its structure is not well known.
Generally, it has adhesive, dispersant and modifying surface tension properties in liquids and from them their main applications derived.
Due to its adhesive properties such polymeric complex can be used in making ceramic and refractory products, in soil stabilization, in light aggregate manufacturing for civil construction, in adhesive manufacturing and other applications.
Additionally, this polymeric complex can be used as water-reducer, fluidizer, dispersant and water-soluble anionic tensio-active agent and in this case it can be used in making dyes, insecticides, cement and concrete additives, in making moulded ceramic pieces, for stabilizing asphaltic and oil-water emulsions, micro-nutrient products for agriculture, cleaning products, industrial water treatment, in making batteries, in making dyes for photographic paper as well as in the tanning industry and crystal growing inhibitors.
Usually, similar dispersants and tensio-active agents are obtained simultaneously with the cellulose after treatment of wood using a bisulphite process. The aforementioned products obtained from such a process entail certain drawbacks as for example:
Many basic operations (milling, heating and separation) need to be carry out before attaining the lye containing dispersants, tensio-actives and agglutinants, which not only increases the cost of the whole process but also determines a performance reduction due to the numerous steps to be carried out.
The lack of homogeneousness of dispersants, tensio-actives and agglutinants depends on the nature of the wood type, which at times may be very heterogeneous and creates serious problems in formulation adjustments.
Now it has been found that it is possible to obtain water-reducers and fluidizers, dispersants, tensoactives and agglutinants by using a process which not only surpasses the above mentioned shortcomings related to the usual methods used to obtain these agents, but which also solves environmental problems associated with the uncontrolled discharge of the residual effluents into water courses, which is of great benefit to industry. In addition, this provides the advantageous reusage of a polluting sub-product generated in manufacturing alcohol through fermenting concentrates.
By applying the process of this invention, the contamination from distilleries is prevented, which helps them to comply with the environmental standards actually in force, wherein a main objective is stated as the recovery of any type of resources present in residues.
Another benefit, which arises from this process, is to make the distillery more competitive by gaining additional economic resources in place of having to pay for destroying such residues.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The process is initiated by separating precipitates which are obtained by introducing the effluent which is at a minimum temperature of 80° C. into a designed tank wherein settling occurs.
Effluent volume determines tank size. Also, precipitate extraction can be carried out using nozzle type centrifugation machines or by other means.
After extracting the precipitates, the liquid effluent having an average solid concentration degree of up to 16% (between active matter and non-settled insoluble matter) is sent to a concentration plant. The effluent is heated up to 80° C. at the concentration plant inlet.
Concentration can be carried out in one or two steps, according to the usage to be given to the final product.
When the effluent is submitted to only a one step concentration, a concentration plant is used which receives effluent at a concentration from 4% to 16% weight/weigh
Dennison, Scheiner Schultz & Wakeman
Lilling Herbert J.
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