Effects of fermentation by-products and inhibitors on pervaporative recovery of biofuels from fermentation broths with novel silane modified silicalite-1/PDMS/PAN thin film composite membrane

• Novel VTES modified silicalite-1/PDMS/PAN thin-film composite membrane was prepared.
• Glycerol does not deteriorate the membrane pervaporation performance.
• Succinic acid has no obvious influence on the membrane performance.
• The fermentation inhibitors can be effectively removed using the novel membrane.
• Pervaporation technology may provide a potential approach for furfural production.

The influence of different bioethanol fermentation broths components (fermentation by-products, and the common inhibitory compounds present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates) on the pervaporation performance of the vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) modified silicalite-1/PDMS/PAN thin-film composite membrane was detailedly investigated in this work. The results showed that succinic acid and glycerol are impermeable components, whereas formic acid, acetic acid, and furfural can permeate through the membrane. Succinic acid have no obvious influence on the membrane performance. Meanwhile, the composite membrane can effectively remove formic acid, acetic acid, and furfural present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The maximum furfural/water selectivity of 95 and furfural flux of 130 g/m2 h were obtained with adding 15 g/L furfural into 2 wt.% ethanol binary solution at the feed temperature of 35 °C. This research reveals a novel detoxification method of lignocellulosic hydrolysates and a potential approach for furfural production as well.