Ethanol

The production of ethanol from sugar in Europe dates back to the early 19th Century. The first molasses distilleries originated in the second half of the 19th Century in Northern Germany, which included KWST. The fermentation of alcohol was developed over thousands of years, and today is an existential element of industrial production in many sectors.

For the production of bioethanol as a fuel additive, there is generally only very limited concentration and purification. The latter is essentially aimed at reducing the water content.

In the field of food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry very pure neutral alcohol is in high demand, as it is produced in complex multi-step rectifications and through the use of water (hydroselection). This yields an alcohol that is neutral in taste, i.e. it has no undesirable foreign odor or taste.

At 97.2%vol. ethanol with water forms an azeotrope and cannot be further concentrated by distillation. Using the so-called entrainer distillation, we remove the remaining water. The same effect is achieved by drying using a molecular sieve.