Absorption of ethanol by steam-exploded corn stalk

The aim of this work is to study the feasibility of using a low-cost biomass absorbent steam-exploded corn stalk (SECS) to absorb ethanol in its production by fermentation. Measurement of many the physical properties of SECS showed its specific surface area was about 214 m(2)/g and it had a good structure for absorption. Some influencing parameters of using SECS to absorb ethanol in water were studied. Second-order and parabolic diffusion equations excellently described the kinetics of absorption for ethanol. Its absorption isotherm was well described by an improved BET equation, indicating that it was a process of polymolecular layer absorption and had phenomena similar to capillary coacervation. Mesh size did not significantly affect absorptivity, but absorbency decreased with temperature. Absorptivity of SECS for ethanol was compared to that of other absorbents: at 30 degrees C and 5% initial ethanol, the absorptivity of SECS for ethanol at 5 h was 92 mg/g. When inactivated through use, SECS can continue to be used as an substrate to produce more ethanol, thus avoiding pollution through discarding. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.