(132b) Continuous PRESSURE and Vacuum Filtration and Washing of ORGANIC Cellulose and BIOMASS PRODUCTS

The processing of organic, cellulose-containing materials has been around for many years as engineers have developed clever chemistry or cultivated natural conversion processes to make products with characteristics, which were not naturally available. Currently, due to high oil prices along with the passage of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) calling for significant increase in ethanol usage nationwide from both grain based and cellulosic based sources, there is tremendous interest in developing efficient, cost-effective manufacturing processes to produce energy from cellulosic feed stocks. This article will use actual process data to highlight the choice of continuous pressure or continuous vacuum filtration and cake washing techniques for a newly developed bioprocess operation using a biomass feedstock material.