CROSS-FLOW FILTRATION OF YEAST BROTH CULTIVATED IN MOLASSES

A broth of yeast cells cultivated in molasses was cross-filtered with a thin-channel module. The permeation flux gradually decreased at a co nstant cell concentration. The flux was much lower than that obtained for yeast broth cultivated in yeast extract, polypeptone, and dextrose (YPD) medium during the filtration. The flux did not depend on the me mbrane pore size (0.45 to 5 mu m). The steady-state flux was one-twent ieth that calculated for a cake filtration model from the amount of ca ke per unit filtration area and the specific resistance of the cake me asured in a dead-end filtration apparatus. The lower flux was due to s mall particles (most of which were less than 1 mu m in diameter) in th e molasses. The mechanism of crossflow filtration of broths of yeast c ells cultivated in molasses was clarified by analysis of the change in flux with time and observations with scanning electron microscopy. At the initial stage of crossflow filtration the yeast cells and particl es from the molasses were deposited on the membrane to form a cake in a similar way to dead-end filtration. After the deposition of cells on to the membrane ceased, the fine particles from molasses formed a thin layer, which had higher resistance than the cake formed next to the m embrane. The backwashing method was effective to increase the flux. Th e flux increased low when the pore size was 0.45 to 0.8 mu m, but usin g larger pores of 3 to 5 mu m it returned almost to the base line. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.