Multiple steady states in a continuous stirred tank reactor: an experimental case study for hydrolysis of sucrose by invertase

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to validate experimentally that multiple steady states may be achieved in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) during hydrolysis of sucrose by invertase. Experiments were done with four initial sucrose concentrations (0.1, 0.175, 0.584 and 1 M) to study their effect on residual sucrose and reaction rate at steady state. Two different steady states ( S=0.7 M, r=9×10 −4 mol/l min and S=0.135 M, r=1.54×10 −3 mol/l min) were found depending on initial concentration of sucrose in the reactor. Two stable steady states were possible in a CSTR using invertase for the hydrolysis of sucrose. A third possible steady state can be derived theoretically, but it should be a metastable condition because any small disturbance in the system will result in transitory states stabilizing at sugar concentrations of either 0.135 or 0.7 M.