PhD thesis: Membrane bioreactors for ethanol production

Membrane bioreactors (#MBR) are used so far mainly for wastewater treatment, where the reactors are fed with very diluted wastewater. The MBR provides high concentration of the bacteria to treat the wastewater faster in smaller vessels. However, the question is if we can use this technology to produce biofuels. This was the topic for Amir Mahboubi who developed MBRs for production of ethanol from lignocellulosic materials in his PhD thesis. He developed membrane processes that can handle high concentration of the material, high cell concentration, materials with bacterial contamination or even high inhibitors concentrations, where the process can run continuously in a stable condition. Today, Amir nailed his thesis that is about Immersed flat-sheet membrane bioreactors for lignocellulosic bioethanol production. He will defend his thesis on 18 Nov., and I wish him good luck.

The publications involved in his thesis are:

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1-    Intensification of lignocellulosic bioethanol production process using continuous double-staged immersed membrane bioreactors

2-  Reverse membrane bioreactor: Introduction to a new technology for biofuel production

3-  Diffusion-based reverse membrane bioreactor for simultaneous bioconversion of high-inhibitor xylose-glucose media

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4-    Continuous bioethanol fermentation from wheat straw hydrolysate with high suspended solid content using an immersed flat sheet membrane bioreactor

5-    Removal of Bacterial Contamination from Bioethanol Fermentation System Using Membrane Bioreactor

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6-    Concentration-driven reverse membrane bioreactor for diffusion-based fermentation of highly inhibitory lignocellulosic hydrolysate

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