Modelling the microfiltration of lactic acid fermentation broths and comparison of operating modes

F. Blaszkowa (1) , Hélène Carrère (1) , Hélène Roux-de Balmann (1)

1 LGC - Laboratoire de Génie Chimique

clarification of fermentation broths by cross-flow microfiltration. Microfiltration experiments conducted under constant transmembrane pressure and under constant permeate fluxes (higher and lower than the critical flux) were represented by the resistance in series model in which the membrane resistance, the adsorption resistance, the bacteria cake resistance and the soluble compounds concentration polarisation resistance were taken into account. The different operating modes were compared in terms of two industrial interest criteria: the productivity and fouling rates. Higher productivities were obtained during constant transmembrane pressure runs whereas the lowest fouling rate was observed during the run conducted with a constant permeate flux lower than the critical flux. However, this fouling was mainly due to adsorption and solute components concentration polarisation.

Mots clés: Microfiltration; Fermentation broths; Productivity; Fouling rate; Constant pressure; Constant flux

Domaines: Génie des procédés; Génie chimique

F. Blaszkowa, Hélène Carrère, Hélène Roux-de Balmann. Modelling the microfiltration of lactic acid fermentation broths and comparison of operating modes. Desalination, 2002, 145 (1-3), pp.201-206. ⟨10.1016/S0011-9164(02)00409-5⟩. ⟨hal-03604532⟩