Hollow-fiber enzyme reactor operating under nonisothermal conditions.
A hollow-fiber enzyme reactor, operating under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions, was built employing a polypropylene hollow fiber onto which beta-galactosidase was immobilized. Hexamethylenediamine and glutaraldehyde were used as spacer and coupling agent, respectively. Glucose production was studied as a function of temperature, substrate concentration, and size of the transmembrane temperature gradient. The actual average temperature differences across the polypropylene fiber, to which reference was done to evaluate the effect of the nonisothermal conditions, were calculated by means of a mathematical approach, which made it possible to know, using computer simulation, the radial and axial temperature profiles inside the bioreactor and across the membrane. Percent activity increases, proportional to the size of the temperature gradients, were found when the enzyme activities under nonisothermal conditions were compared to those measured under comparable isothermal conditions. Percent reductions of the production times, proportional to the applied temperature gradients, were also calculated. The advantage of employing nonisothermal bioreactors in biotechnological industrial process was discussed.
Diano
Nadia
N
Institute of Genetics and Biophysics A. Buzzati Traverso" of CNR, Via G. Marconi 12, 80125 Naples, Italy.
Grano
Valentina
V
Rossi
Sergio
S
Bencivenga
Umberto
U
Portaccio
Marianna
M
Amato
Umberto
U
Carfora
Francesca
F
Lepore
Maria
M
Gaeta
Francesco Saverio
FS
Mita
Damiano Gustavo
DG
D019149:Bioreactors; D002384:Catalysis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003959:Diamines / Q000737:chemistry; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D005976:Glutaral / Q000737:chemistry; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008956:Models, Chemical; D016062:Porosity; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000737:chemistry*
D003959:Diamines; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D005947:Glucose; D005976:Glutaral; C007297:1,6-diaminohexane