Process operation performance of PDMS membrane pervaporation coupled with fermentation for efficient bioethanol production

Abstract There would be strong product inhibition on ethanol fermentation process if ethanol is not removed in situ from broth. PDMS membrane pervaporation coupled with fermentation is a promising process for efficient bioethanol production since ethanol inhibition is relieved or eliminated. From the perspective of process operation, membrane separation performance, ethanol fermentation performance and the subsequent processing on membrane downstream are the three key issues. This review aims at contributing a comprehensive overview on the operation performance of the integrated process. The state-of-the-art of the three key issues related to the operation performance is focused. Finally, the tentative perspective on the possible future prospects of the integrated process is briefly presented.