Journal of Fermentation and Bioengineering, Vol.82, No.4, 361-365, 1996
Electroultrafiltration Bioreactor for Enzymatic-Reaction in Reversed Micelles
Electro-ultrafiltration (EUF), which is an effective method to decrease gel layer formation in membrane surface and to increase the flux of filtrate, was used in the membrane bioreactor for lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of triolein in a reversed micellar system. An ultrafiltration ceramic membrane module of tubular type was used to separate the AOT (bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate, Aerosol OT) reversed micelles containing Lipase and product from the continuous phase of isooctane. The effects of an electric field, W-o (molar ratio of water to surfactant) and AOT concentration on the filtration flux and the stability of lipase activity were studied. For the EUF bioreactor, optimum conditions of the reversed micelles with respect to the filtration flux and the stability of lipase activity were obtained as W-o=3 and 0.02M AOT. The application of an electric field improved the productivity of oleic acid, because the filtration flux increased with increased electric field strength. The EUF bioreactor could be effectively operated in the continuous enzymatic reaction of the reversed micellar system, because the enzyme-containing reversed micelles were retained in a continuously operated reactor and the product solution was removed from the reactor.