ANALYSIS OF A PACKED-BED REACTOR FOR HYDROLYSIS OF PICROCROCIN BY IMMOBILIZED BETA-GLUCOSIDASE

Beta-glucosidase was immobilized onto nylon-hydrazide and employed for picrocrocin hydrolysis in a continuous packed-bed reactor (PBR). Trim ethyl-4-hydroxy-1-carboxaldehyde-1-cyclohexene (HTCC) was collected fr om the reactor effluent and dehydrated to safranal, to obtain up to 20 g l-1h-1 of safranal, the essential oil from saffron. Picrocrocin con version values increased upon increasing residence times, while produc tivity showed the opposite response. The derivative load was the main parameter controlling the system operation, whereas diffusional effect s were less important. Operational stability studies showed a biphasic deactivation pattern with t1/2 values of 4.2 and 20.1 days below and above the fourth day of continuous operation, respectively. A design e quation has been developed that simulates the reactor behavior with a 10% deviation from the experimental results.