Evaluation of Distillery Fractions in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells and Screening of Reaction Products

Giuseppe Montevecchi, Maria Cannio (), Umberto Cancelli, Andrea Antonelli and Marcello Romagnoli
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Giuseppe Montevecchi: Department of Life Sciences (Agro-Food Science Area), BIOGEST—SITEIA Interdepartmental Centre, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa 1A, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
Maria Cannio: Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Vivarelli 10, 41125 Modena, Italy
Umberto Cancelli: Department of Life Sciences (Agro-Food Science Area), BIOGEST—SITEIA Interdepartmental Centre, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa 1A, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
Andrea Antonelli: Department of Life Sciences (Agro-Food Science Area), BIOGEST—SITEIA Interdepartmental Centre, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa 1A, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
Marcello Romagnoli: Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Vivarelli 10, 41125 Modena, Italy

Clean Technol., 2024, vol. 6, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Fuel cells represent an appealing avenue for harnessing eco-friendly energy. While their fuel supply traditionally stems from water electrolysis, an environmentally conscious approach also involves utilizing low-weight alcohols like methanol and ethanol. These alcohols, concentrated from sustainable sources within the enological by-product distillation process, offer a noteworthy contribution to the circular economy. This study delved into evaluating the efficacy of distillery fractions in powering methanol fuel cells. Beyond their energy-generation potential, the performed GC-MS analysis unveiled appreciable quantities of acetic acid resulting from the partial oxidation of ethanol. This revelation opens the door to intriguing possibilities, including the recovery and repurposing of novel compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (predominantly acetic acid), ketones, and aldehydes—establishing a link between sustainable energy production and the emergence of valuable by-product applications.

Keywords: DMFC; enological waste valorization; methanol; ethanol; acetic acid (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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