The influence of precipitation reactor configuration on the centrifugal recovery of isoelectric soya protein precipitate.
The strength and rheological characteristics of isoelectric soya protein precipitate, prepared in continuous tubular and batch-stirred tank reactors, were determined in relation to the separation efficiency and sludge discharge characteristics of intermittent disk and scroll discharge centrifuges. The batch tank precipitate showed greater resistance to aggregate shear breakup than the tubular reactor precipitate. This difference was of significance to the separation efficiency of the scroll centrifuge only. The tubular reactor precipitate sludge showed greater resistance to shear deformation and resulted in drier sludge for a given scroll differential speed. some compressive dewatering occurred for both types of precipitate sludge but shear-induced dewatering is proposed as the major mechanism. This study illustrates the need to integrate the design of protein precipitate formation and centrifugal recovery operations.
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, England.
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Bell
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Dunnill