MASADA’S CES OXYNOL PROCESS
Masada’s core CES OxyNol waste-to-ethanol process was proven at industrial scale during WWII. Four years of testing with the Tennessee Valley Authority (“TVA”) demonstrated the process’s viability and flexibility. Twenty-first century updates use off-the-shelf equipment to minimize risk. Key process systems and hardware are in daily operation in similar applications and have been thoroughly tested at a large-scale demonstration plant.
Masada and its core process have successfully “passed” substantial due diligence by numerous third parties, including: (1) environmental regulatory agencies, (2) U.S., U.K. and Swiss engineering firms, (3) bond underwriters, (4) engineering, procurement, and construction (“EPC”) contractors, (5) major equipment vendors, and (6) potential insurance providers. The process is illustrated below.
The CES OxyNol process involves five steps whereby the cellulose in municipal wastes is converted into sugar (primarily glucose). The sugar is subsequently fermented into alcohol, which is denatured to produce fuel-grade ethanol. The five steps are detailed on the next two pages.
THE CES OXYNOL PROCESS AT WORK
Step 1: Feedstock Preparation
Masada’s waste-to-ethanol facility is designed to remove non-cellulosic material from the waste stream. This creates the cellulosic rich feedstock needed for the chemical reaction during hydrolysis.
Step 2: Hydrolyzation and Cellulose Conversion
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction that breaks down the cellulose into a slurry containing sugars, sulfuric acid, lignin and non-hydrolyzed materials. In the hydrolysis phase, the feedstock is treated with concentrated sulfuric acid which acts as a catalyst converting the cellulose and hemicellulose to glucose and mannose.
Step 3: Acid Recovery
A critical element of the CES OxyNol process is the recovery of the sulfuric acid utilized in the hydrolyzation. The sulfuric acid/sugar solution from the hydrolysis phase is fed into an ion exclusion acid/sugar separation unit to separate the acid and sugar solutions. The dilute acid solution is reconcentrated through evaporation and is reused in the process. The sugar solution is transferred to the fermentation area.
Step 4: Fermentation
The process design uses traditional batch fermentation to convert the sugar solution into ethanol and carbon dioxide using the biological action of yeast. The carbon dioxide is collected and processed to commercial standards for resale in an on-site unit.
Step 5: Distillation
Distillation separates the ethanol from fermented mash and water to produce pure ethanol. The fermented mash is distilled in a two-phase process. In the first phase, the ethanol is dehydrated by distillation to approximately 90% concentration (180 proof). In the second phase, the ethanol is further dehydrated to 100% concentration (200 proof) by using a molecular sieve. After the ethanol is transferred to a storage tank, it is denatured with gasoline, converting it to fuel grade ethanol. The denatured product is stored until shipment.