Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.53, No.42, 16494-16501, 2014
Continuous System of Combined Columns of Ion Exchange Resins and Activated Charcoal as a New Approach for the Removal of Toxics from Sugar Cane Bagasse Hemicellulosic Hydrolysate
A continuous system of combined columns of ion exchange resins and activated charcoal was proposed as a new approach for the removal of toxics from sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate. A factorial design was carried out to evaluate the influence of temperature and feed flow rate in the performance of the detoxification procedure. By using a temperature of 30 circle C and a flow rate of 2.5 V-B/h, the total removal of furfural and 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural was observed, as well as a large reduction in the color and concentration of phenolic compounds. Removal of metals was also observed, with 50, 63, and 23% reduction in the concentration of copper, chromium, and nickel, respectively. The product of the detoxification process was a hydrolysate with a reduced concentration of inhibitors that can be used as a raw material for a number of processes to obtain products of economic and social interest.