Separation of Bio-Butanol

Abstract

Research to develop an alternative to fossil fuels is the interest of research. Bio-fuels produced from a fermentation process are the alternative to petroleum based fuels. Bio-fuels will decrease the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and it is the major merit of using bio-fuels. Butanol can be directly used as a fuel in vehicles having 30% higher energy content than that of ethanol. The fermentation is not efficient due to the great cost associated with the separation of butanol from the fermentation broth. In present paper, various separation techniques were reviewed briefly and membrane based methods are more promising than others.