Premium
Optimization of a reactor assembly for the production of 6‐APA from penicillin‐V
Author(s) -
Karlsen Lars G.,
Villadsen John
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260261213
Subject(s) - plug flow , plug flow reactor model , chemistry , penicillin amidase , penicillin , continuous stirred tank reactor , continuous reactor , immobilized enzyme , pulp and paper industry , chromatography , process engineering , enzyme , thermodynamics , catalysis , organic chemistry , biochemistry , engineering , physics , antibiotics
The design and operation of an industrial penicillin‐V deacylation reactor is simulated, using a kinetic expression and mass transport parameters for the immobilized enzyme particles which were determined experimentally in a previous study. It is desirable to use a series of equalsized plug flow reactors with pH control at the entrance to each reactor, and with a possibility of recycling reactant in each reactor. These measures are necessary to avoid a steep pH profile through the reactor; the deacylation reaction is accompanied by an increase of acidity of the reaction medium, and H + is a strong inhibitor and may deactivate the enzyme. The optimization study which is carried out at a fixed penicillin conversion of x = 0.99 shows that it is uneconomical to use penicillin feed concentrations above 150m M –175m M , and that the buffer concentration in the reaction medium should not be less than 50m M –75m M . Increasing the number of reactors from 4 to 8 or 10 leads to higher productivity of 6‐APA, and a moderate recycle in the first couple of reactors diminishes the sharp decrease in pH which will be found in a straight plug flow reactor operation of the equipment. Higher pumping costs and lower productivity are unavoidable drawbacks of an operation mode where the separation costs for the product mixture are desired to be low.