Provided is a device for producing ultra-low sulfur biodiesel. The device for producing ultra-low sulfur biodiesel is a two-stage processing device, comprising a two-stage purification unit, a two-stage enzyme reaction unit, a two-stage distillation unit, and a decompression rectification unit. The present invention is green and environment-friendly, effectively and completely removing sulfur-containing impurities from the raw material, eliminating the attack of a sulfur-containing group in the synthesis process on fatty acids, and providing sufficient conditions for obtaining ultra-low sulfur content methyl esters in the product section.

Energy efficiency is improved in a grain alcohol production plant (60) by capturing heat energy that otherwise would be lost to the environment when stillage evaporator last effect vapors (22) are condensed to recycle their water content. The low temperature/pressure heat energy of these vapors is efficiently recovered and reused by placing the vapors in direct physical contact (301, 402) with a working fluid (38) to form heated working fluid (54, 66), then using the heated working fluid directly in a process of the plant. In an embodiment, cook water used for the plant fermentation process is preheated by direct contact with stillage evaporator overhead vapor via one or more direct contact heat exchangers (301, 401) and/or a thermocompressor (402).

The present invention discloses a methanol-mediated method for separating an alkaline solution of hemicellulose, and an ethanol-mediated method for separating an alkaline solution of hemicellulose, where methanol/ethanol is added into the alkaline solution in which hemicellulose is dissolved, and stirred thoroughly until the mixture is homogeneous, to destroy the hydrated layer effect formed between the hemicellulose and the alkaline solution through the methanol/ethanol-mediated hydrophobic effect, such that hemicellulose is precipitated from the solution system, and then the mixture is subjected to separation by sedimentation, centrifugation or filtration to obtain a precipitate of hemicellulose and an alkaline solution of methanol/ethanol; and by using the prompting effect of an alkaline condition on evaporation and gasification separation of methanol/ethanol from water, a reduced-pressure distillation (rectification) or gasification membrane is used to separate methanol/ethanol from the alkaline solution, and the obtained alkaline solution and methanol/ethanol are reused for dissolution and separation of hemicellulose. By the complete reuse of the alkaline solution and methanol/ethanol in the method of the present invention, it achieves efficient, clean and economical production of alkaline dissolution and separation of hemicellulose, and the separation and recovery efficiency of the hemicellulose dissolved in the alkaline exceeds 99%.

The invention relates to a process for the production of 1,4-butanediol comprising the preparation of a fermentation broth comprising 1,4-butanediol from renewable sources and water, separation of a liquid fraction comprising said 1,4-butanediol and water from one or more solid fractions, said liquid fraction comprising 2-pyrrolidone in an amount higher than 80 ppm, one or more passages of the resulting liquid fraction through a bed comprising one or more cation-exchange resins thereby providing an output pH of said liquid fraction from 4 to 2, one or more passages of the resulting liquid fraction through a bed comprising one or more anion-exchange resins thereby providing an output pH of said liquid fraction from 8 to 11, and the distillation of the liquid fraction thereby provided so as to obtain a composition having a concentration of said 1,4-butanediol higher than 99.0% by weight and comprising 2-pyrrolidone in an amount lower than 6 ppm. The resulting composition should exhibit an APHA color value after ageing of less than 30.

The present invention relates to processes for recovering/extracting oil from fermentation product production processes based on starch-containing material, wherein an alpha-amylase, a high dosage of protease, and optionally a glucoamylase, are present and/or added in liquefaction. The invention also relates to processes for producing fermentation products and to enzyme compositions suitable for use in processes of the invention.

A distillation column and tray assembly is disclosed herein. The distillation column includes a removable inner tray assembly with adjustable downcomer tubes. The removable tray assembly enables the user to selectively change distillation plates when so removed. When removed, a distiller or brewer may adjust the downcomer tubes to change the fluid level on the distillation plates, or bypass certain distillation plates completely. Certain embodiments of the invention include a feature of an O-ring recessed around a perimeter of the plates permitting a tight seal and reducing manufacturing costs.

The present disclosure provides processes and systems for heat integration in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a distillation unit bottom stream, a vaporous overhead stream, and a fusel oil stream. Molecular sieve units are regenerated by vacuum or a combination of vacuum and optionally a portion of the product stream to form one or more regenerate streams. A feed tank is configured to receive at least one selected from a condensed portion of the regenerate streams and a portion of a vaporous depressure stream, to form a feed stream. The energy contained in the depressure vapor is recovered by the depressure vapor contacting the feed tank and heating up at least one stream forwarded into the feed tank.

Disclosed is a process to produce a purified vapor comprising dialkyl-furan-2,5-dicarboxylate (DAFD). Furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and an alcohol in an esterification zone to generate a crude diester stream containing dialkyl furan dicarboxylate (DAFD), unreacted alcohol, 5-(alkoxycarbonyl) furan-2-carboxylic acid (ACFC), and alkyl furan-2-carboxylate (AFC). The esterification zone comprises at least one reactor that has been previously used in an DMT process.

Systems are presented that reduce energy and water consumption in processes for producing fuel from renewable alcohol-containing feedstreams. Alcohol content is converted directly to hydrocarbon transport fuels in a catalytic process, with heat transferred between intermediate process streams to reduce heat energy consumption. Overall water consumption is reduced by recovery of water from the catalytic process and reduction of water temperature to reduce evaporative losses.

Disclosed is a purified dialkyl furan dicarboxylate (DAFD) vapor composition containing at least 99.5 wt. % DAFD; 5-(alkoxycarbonyl) furan-2-carboxylic acid (ACFC) that, if present, is present in an amount of not more than 1000 ppm, alkyl-5-formylfuran-2-carboxylate (AFFC) that, if present, is present in an amount of not more than 1000 ppm, 5-(dialkoxymethyl)furan-2-carboxylic acid (DAFCA) that if present, is present in an amount of not more than 1000 ppm, and alkyl 5-(dialkoxymethyl)furan-2-carboxylate (ADAFC) that if present, is present in an amount of not more than 1000 ppm, in each case based on the weight of the DAFD vapor composition.