Process Intensification in Glutamic Acid Production

Abstract

This chapter discusses issues on process intensification and business sustainability in glutamic acid production. How such process intensification can be achieved using a membrane-integrated hybrid production system in this bio-based process industry has been described in detail. The chapter begins with an introduction on the importance of glutamic acid production and subsequently delves into the issues pertaining to current production processes with sustainability challenges, process intensification approaches, and potential of process intensification of membrane-integrated reactor systems, operation of a novel process representing high process intensification, analysis of process intensification parameters and sustainability of a novel process. Major discussion revolves around a three-stage membrane-integrated hybrid reactor system that has been developed recently and investigated for direct and continuous production of l-(+)-glutamic acid from a cheap and renewable carbon source. Corynebacterium glutamicum has been used for selective production of glutamic acid from fermentation of sugar cane juice. It is observed that judicious integration of appropriate membrane modules with a traditional fermenter can culminate in the development of a novel process with a high degree of process intensification, as analyzed in terms of space intensification, application flexibility, capacity flexibility, energy saving and cost advantage. The membrane integration route leads to an economically viable green process.