Heterogeneous Model of the Process of Clavulanic Acid Purification by Ionic Exchange in a Fixed-Bed Column

Abstract

The main factors that influence the adsorption process were studied by means of numerical simulation, based on experimental data of the rupture curve of an adsorption column employed in the purification of clavulanic acid with Amberlite IRA-400 ion-exchange resin. Starting from a heterogeneous model that describes fixed bed adsorption, three important process parameters were determined and evaluated: the degradation constant inside the pores of the resin, the global mass transfer coefficient, and the axial dispersion coefficient. The model was adjusted to the experimental data of an absorption column operating with clavulanic acid feed concentrations of 100.0; 114.0 and 122.0 mg/L, pH 6.2, at a temperature of 10°C. The results confirmed the good adjustment of the numerical simulation to the experimental data.