PROCEDE ET DISPOSITIF POUR LA PRODUCTION D'ETHANOL PAR HYDROLYSE ACIDE EN CONTINU DE MATIERES CELLULOSIQUES

Invention patent for a "Process and Installation for Obtaining Ethanol by the Continuous Acid Hydrolysis of Cellulosic Materials", such process comprising the stages of: providing an homogenized aqueous pulp of cellulosic material having 3 to 30% in weight of solids; pumping the cellulosic material pulp, in a substantially continuous way, to the interior of the inlet end of a tubular reactor and restricting its outlet opposite end to maintain a given internal pressure inside the same; heating the pressurized cellulosic material pulp up to the temperature of about 160 DEG to 250 DEG C. before its introduction into the reactor; adding, in a substantially continuous way, a given dose of a concentrated acid to the pressurized and heated cellulosic material pulp, which will be continuously diluted in the reactor, to provide the hydrolysis reaction of said pulp, the acid addition being made inside the reactor at a point longitudinally adjustable from the inlet end of the reactor; discharging in a substantially continuous way through the outlet end of the reactor a given load of hydrolyzed cellulosic material, said discharge being regulated in conjunction with the longitudinal positioning of the point of addition of the acid, thus fixing the reaction time adequate for the cellulosic material pulp; subjecting the hydrolyzed cellulosic material pulp to an abrupt pressure drop and cooling immediately after it leaves the reactor; neutralizing and fermenting the resulting aqueous solution to obtain ethanol; and recovering the resulting byproducts which are methanol, furfural, acetic acid and lignin.