4. Conclusion
This study demonstrates the feasibility of the fermentation–PV coupled process for continuous production of butanol from
cassava, a cheap and renewable carbon source. In situ solvent recovery by PV could alleviate butanol toxicity and increase the yield, productivity and substrate utilization rate in ABE fermentation, thus decreasing the cost of ABE production. With the coupled process, a highly concentrated product containing more than 200 g/L total solvent was achieved, reducing energy consumption and water usage in ABE production from cassava. The results show definite improvements over the existing ones considering carbon source, product concentration and energy efficiency.