This invention describes a way to process the leftover liquid from making ethanol, known as still bottoms. It uses a series of pressurized filters to separate out clean, drinkable water, which can then be bottled. The remaining concentrated solids can be further processed to recover valuable chemicals, nutrients, or medicines, and the system also generates methane gas for fuel and an ammonia solution. The patent specifically details using microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration to achieve this separation and produce potable water.
Why it matters: Since 2007, global environmental regulations have significantly tightened, increasing the value of processes that offer clean discharge and resource recovery from industrial waste. Advances in membrane filtration and bioreactor technologies may also offer more efficient and cost-effective implementation of this multi-stage recovery system today.
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