Biofuels and Peracetic Acid

Uses of Peracetic Acid for Ethanol Production

Peracetic Acid (PAA) is an excellent antimicrobial agent due to the chemistry’s high oxidizing potential, the effectiveness against a broad range of microorganisms in cold and warm temperatures, and the favorable environmental profile. Hydrite’s peracetic acid is produced in the Heartland and will benefit your operation in many ways:

• Antimicrobial for bacteria control in fermenters, mash coolers and scrubbers
• Sulfite oxidation to reduce sulfur content in ethanol
• Oxalate, protein, and scale removal for clean in place (CIP)
• Environmentally safe biofilm control and removal in cooling towers

Peracetic Acid Cooling Tower Case Study

After adding peracetic acid to cooling towers, producers recorded: 

• A reduction in packing fouling (biofilm)
• Improvements in heat transfer and process control
• Reductions in treatment and energy costs

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Peracetic Acid Ethanol Plant Trial

After using EPA registered peracetic acid for biofilm control and watewater treatment, one ethanol plant reduced treatment costs by $112K, with no negative impact on ethnol performance. 

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Antibiotic-Free Antimicrobial

One of the most important processes in fuel ethanol production is yeast fermentation of glucose into ethanol. When fermentation is running well, downstream operations run well. Unfortunately, if fermentation does not run well, downstream processes become fouled and low quality byproducts are produced. Also, fuel ethanol output is compromised reducing facility profits.

Bacterial infections are one of the biggest contributing factors to poor fermentation. Infections inhibit yeast’s ability to ferment sugar into ethanol. Ethanol facilities can spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually on antibiotic use to stop the spread of infection. Often, antibiotics are overdosed to ensure overall bacterial control but also allowing bacterial strains to gain possible resistance to the antibiotics. Furthermore, most commonly added antibiotics used are only effective against gram-positive bacteria (lactobacillus) and not gram-negative bacteria (acetobacter and pseudomonas). Gram-negative bacteria consume valuable sugar and contribute to poor fermentation.

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