A COUNTERCURRENT ADSORPTIVE REACTOR FOR ACIDIFYING BIOCONVERSIONS

A countercurrent adsorptive reactor, based on the segregation tendency of dense sorbent particles through a liquid fluidized bed of light bi ocatalyst particles, is described for the acidifying production of the key pharmaceutical intermediate 6-Aminopenicillanic acid from Penicil lin G. Mass transfer limited release of hydroxide from an ion exchange resin with simultaneous separation of the product by ion exchange, en abled axial control of the pH and product inhibition. The complexity o f the countercurrent Trickle Flow Reactor requires a mathematical mode l, incorporating the effects of hydrodynamics, heterogeneous biocataly sis and multicomponent ion exchange. Such a model is presented and the parameters in the Three Phase -liquid. biocatalyst, sorbent- Model we re determined from independent experiments. Model predictions gave an adequate description of experimental reactor performance. Using this m odel, the sensitivity of key parameters in the model, such as sorbent to liquid feed ratio and ion exchange selectivity and reactor optimiza tion are readily studied.