Fixed-bed adsorption and fluidized-bed regeneration for breaking the azeotrope of ethanol and water

Two kinds of Chinese cornmeal used as the adsorbent of a fixed bed were exa mined with a pilot test system for breaking the azeotrope of ethanol and wa ter. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of water depends on th e vapor superficial velocity in the ftxed bed, the temperature, and the par ticle size distribution of cornmeal. When 99.5 wt.-% ethanol at,outlet was defined as the breakthrough point in a fixed bed, the adsorption capacity o f water was 0.014-0.025 g water/g adsorbent. The service time equation was also given. Instead of down-flow drying in general fixed-bed, up-flow fluid ized drying was developed for regeneration. The fluidization would favor th e regeneration process in controlling channel and speeding up the operation . It is expected that the Chinese cornmeal as a renewable material would be commercially used in the near future.