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 examined with a pilot test system for breaking the azeotrope of ethanol and water. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of water depends on the vapor superficial velocity in the ftxed bed, the temperature, and the particle size distribution of cornmeal. When 99.5 wt.-% ethanol at,outlet was defined as the breakthrough point in a fixed bed, the adsorption capacity of 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 fluidized drying was developed for regeneration. The fluidization would favor the 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.