Alcohol Distillation Plant

Alcohol Distillation Plant

An Alcohol Distillation Plant is designed to separate and purify alcohol (ethanol) from fermented mixtures such as molasses, grains, or fruits. The primary objective is to increase the alcohol concentration using a process known as distillation, which takes advantage of the different boiling points of substances.

Applications

• Fuel Ethanol Production – Bioethanol derived from sugarcane, corn, or molasses.
• Potable Alcohol Distillation – Extra neutral alcohol for beverages.
• Pharmaceutical-Grade Alcohol – Sterile processing for medical and laboratory use.
• Solvent Recovery Systems – Utilized in the chemical and cosmetics industries.

Why Choose Our Alcohol Distillation Plant?

• Custom-Designed Solutions – Tailored to your specific raw materials and alcohol grade.
• High Yield & Purity – Achieve 96%–99.9% purity with precise control.
• Energy-Efficient Operations – Multi-pressure distillation reduces energy use.
• Modular & Scalable Design – From pilot plants to full-scale units.
• Minimal Waste, Maximum Recovery – Efficient recovery with low environmental impact.

Key Steps in the Alcohol Distillation Process

• 1. Fermentation:
  - Raw materials are mixed with water and yeast.
  - Yeast converts sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide (CO₂) over 24–72 hours.
  - The resulting mixture, known as wash or beer, typically contains about 6–12% alcohol.
• 2. Pre-heating:
  - The fermented wash is pre-heated with heat exchangers to save energy.
• 3. Distillation:
  - The wash is sent to a distillation column (rectification column).
  - Alcohol, boiling at 78.37°C, vaporizes before water, which boils at 100°C.
  - Vapors rise through the column and pass through several trays or plates.
• 4. Condensation:
  - Alcohol vapors are cooled in a condenser, converting them into a liquid known as distillate.
  - Water and impurities are left behind or removed through side streams.
• 5. Rectification & Purification:
  - Further purification in rectifier columns to achieve over 95% purity.
  - Additional columns can remove impurities such as methanol, aldehydes, and fusel oils.
• 6. Dehydration (for fuel ethanol):
  - To produce absolute alcohol (99.9% ethanol), the remaining water is removed using:
     • Molecular Sieves
     • Azeotropic Distillation