In what could provide a boost to the biofuel production in the country, researchers from Christ College, Irinjalakuda, have invented an eco-friendly and cost- efficient method to remove water from ethanol and other organic solvents. Researchers say the energy-efficient method could bring down the prices of ethanol production because now a significant cost involved in fuel ethanol production is for removing water from ethanol to make it 100% pure. A patent application has been filed for the invention which works with many other organic solvents such as diethyl ether, acetone, toluene and other alcohols. Joy said currently four major methods are used in industry for drying alcohol: extractive distillation, azeotropic distillation, adsorption with molecular sieves and membrane vapour permeation. But all these methods have the drawbacks of high cost of raw materials and energy-intensive processes. “Our invention will be a significant step forward towards achieving a CO2 neutral fuel economy and towards achieving energy independence. Since ethanol can be produced and dried locally using this method, huge costs towards transportation of fuels currently incurred can be avoided,” Joy said.
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