Journal of Membrane Science, Vol.191, No.1-2, 129-142, 2001
Production processes of fermented organic acids targeted around membrane operations: design of the concentration step by conventional electrodialysis
Organic acids are increasingly used for various industrial applications. Their production is mainly achieved by fermentation. Precipitation or extraction stages, which generate big amount of effluents, are then traditionally used to get the acid in a suitable form. To lower the impact on the environment, the implementation of cleaner operations are investigated. In this context, a complete process targeted around membrane operations for clarification, concentration and conversion was studied. The present paper is devoted to the study of the concentration step, carried out by conventional electrodialysis (EDC). A model, based on the description of the solute and solution fluxes through the membranes is developed. Dedicated procedures are proposed to determine the different contributions, i.e. electromigration and diffusion, to these fluxes so as to feed the model. This approach is then applied to the concentration of sodium lactate solutions. The preponderance, of electromigration is thus demonstrated as well as the existence of a maximum achievable concentration, the predicted value of which is confirmed experimentally. Comparison between EDC of sodium and ammonium lactate solutions shows that the counter ion has negligible influence on the transport of lactate. The influence of the membrane characteristics is also drawn from comparison with previously published results. Finally, the predictions of the model are compared with the experimental results concerning the concentration of a fermentation broth and a good agreement is stated. The approach proposed in this paper can be used as well to design EDC concentration of any other organic acid salt than lactate.