Análise de pesquisas sobre a pervaporação como método de separação de etanol

Abstract

The chemical industry is currently facing one of its main obstacles, which is the search for sustainable and effective methods to deal with energy savings. Pervaporation, for example, has emerged as a promising technology, as it is capable of substantially reducing energy expenditure in the separation procedure, including in the production of ethanol. Ethanol, which has multiple applications, ranging from fuels to its use as a raw material for the synthesis of compounds such as ethyl acetate or acetaldehyde. Given the relevance of the topic and the growing investment in this market, the objective of the research was to analyze studies found in the literature on the separation of ethanol using pervaporation, limited to studies based on the separation of ethanol through the pervaporation process using membranes, hybrid or mixed. This analysis consisted of a bibliographical approach, focusing on five studies found in the academic literature: one postgraduate thesis, two course conclusion papers and two technical- scientific articles. This research looked for both what is common and what is particular in each chosen study and the end result showed an original analysis as a result of one or more aspects for the cases studied. All five publications demonstrate in different ways the increased efficiency of the pervaporation process compared to traditional ethanol separation methods. Finally, it was discussed, among other aspects, the fact that alternative techniques allow for new financial scenarios, the cross-linking of different types of membranes with a wide range of materials and the obvious possibility of reducing environmental impacts.