PRODUCTION OF FUEL-GRADE ETHANOL BY EXTRACTIVE DISTILLATION EMPLOYINGTHE SALT EFFECT

Salt-effect distillation is a novel variation on extractive distillati on in which the agent added to the column to effect the separation is a salt rather than a liquid. The technique, which can offer major ener gy savings over conventional processing, is attracting renewed interes t at present, primarily in the dehydration of ethanol for gasoline-alc ohol fuel blends. Details of the technique, its chemistry, its advanta ges and problems, and some of its applications are discussed. More det ailed reviews are cited.