Continuous extraction loop reactor (CELR): Alcoholic fermentation by fluidized entrapped biomass

Abstract

For the study of the continuous fermentation in a loop bioreactor, the entrapment and the activity of cells into a Ca-alginate matrix and the solvent extractive fermentation were considered. These proposals had already been presented as single ideas and sometimes supported by theoretical approaches. The initial tests, performed for more then a month of work, seem indicate that the extractive fermentation increases the specific production rate, but the alginate matrix shows many serious problems: a low mechanical resistance, the leakage of viable cells, a not negligible internal mass transfer resistance and the decrease in viability of the entrapped microorganisms. The reported results concern only the initial part of the research and need to be integrated with data of further research.