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Recovery and purification of polysaccharides from microbial broth
Australian Journal of Biotechnology
|April 1, 1991
Summary
Membrane processing using crossflow microfiltration offers an efficient method for recovering xanthan, a microbial polysaccharide. This technique improves purification and reduces solvent use compared to traditional precipitation methods.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
- Separation Science
Background:
- Industrial recovery of microbial polysaccharides like xanthan typically involves dilution and alcohol precipitation.
- This process can be inefficient, requiring significant solvent volumes and potentially impacting purification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavior of xanthan solutions during membrane processing using microporous membranes.
- To evaluate the potential of crossflow microfiltration as an intermediate step in xanthan recovery.
Main Methods:
- Crossflow microfiltration was employed to process xanthan solutions.
- Flux rates and polysaccharide rejection were measured.
- The influence of xanthan concentration and crossflow velocity on flux was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Flux rates up to 120 L/m2h were achieved for pure xanthan solutions with complete polysaccharide rejection.
- Membrane flux was independent of xanthan concentration up to 20-25 g/L.
- Flux was strongly dependent on crossflow velocity, and the thin film model underpredicted performance.
Conclusions:
- Crossflow microfiltration is a viable technique for xanthan recovery, offering high flux and complete rejection.
- Implementing this membrane step can enhance purification and significantly reduce solvent requirements in industrial processes.
- This method presents a promising alternative to conventional alcohol precipitation for microbial polysaccharide recovery.