Forced-flow bioreactor for sucrose inversion using ceramic membrane activated by silanization

Area of Science:

• Biochemical Engineering
• Membrane Science
• Enzyme Technology

Background:

• Enzyme membrane reactors offer potential for efficient biocatalysis.
• Immobilization of enzymes is crucial for reactor stability and reusability.
• Sucrose inversion is an important industrial process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a forced-flow enzyme membrane reactor for sucrose inversion.
• To evaluate the performance of chemically immobilized invertase on ceramic membranes.
• To optimize reaction conditions for enhanced volumetric productivity.

Main Methods:

• Chemical immobilization of invertase onto silane-glutaraldehyde activated ceramic membranes.
• Utilizing a cross-flow filtration system with varying ceramic membrane pore sizes.
• Measuring reaction rates as a function of permeate flux controlled by transmembrane pressure.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 10-fold increase in volumetric productivity compared to immobilized enzyme column reactors.
• Demonstrated 100% sucrose conversion with a short residence time of 5 seconds.
• Identified membrane pore size and permeate flux as key factors controlling reaction rate.

Conclusions:

• The developed forced-flow enzyme membrane reactor system is highly efficient for sucrose inversion.
• This technology offers significant advantages in terms of productivity and reaction speed.
• The system shows promise for industrial applications requiring rapid and complete sucrose hydrolysis.