Estimation and control of process time for membrane separation of cephalosporin C from fermentation broth

Cephalosporin C(CPC)fermentation broth is a typical material with high solid content and high viscosity. Under the condition of constant yield of CPC in filtrate, how to minimize the process time of membrane filtration is an interesting area in industrial applications. Based on the stagnant film theory and mass balance, the estimate equation is founded and the conditions to reach the minimum process time tmin are put forward. The results show that the time consumed is 30%-40% of the total process time when the yield of CPC is from 85% to 95%. Under the experiment conditions(pre-concentration ratio 0.5-0.8, post-concentration ratio 1), the total filtration time is nearly the same. Based on the theoretical and experimental results, the production requirements as CPC yield, the volume of filtrate or retentate and the process effectiveness can be optimized and controlled properly. © All Rights Reserved.