Modelling glucose/fructose isomerization with immobilized glucose isomerase in fixed and fluid bed reactors

Abstract

AbstractImmobilized glucose isomerase is used to convert glucose to fructose in the production of “High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)” by enzymatic starch hydrolysis. A reactor model was established analogous to heterogeneous catalytic reactor models, taking into account the effects of fluid/particle mass transfer, intraparticle transport, fluid bed expansion, backmixing and reversible kinetics. The kinetic data either for free enzymes and the biocatalyst particles were evaluated using laboratory scale stirred tank reactors. Fixed‐and fluid bed reactor experiments were performed. The comparison of calculated and experimental data show some deviation indicating that the correlations for mass transfer and back‐mixing for complex media, as used here, have to be checked.