Why on earth can people need continuous recycle membrane reactors for starch hydrolysis?

Classically enzymatic hydrolysis of starch is conducted in batch reactor in a two-step process including liquefaction and saccharification. This paper presents some ideas to simplify this process and decrease its cost. Becaus e today, either saccharifying enzymes able to attack native starch or stron g liquefying catalysts leading to sufficient low-molecular weight hydrolysa tes may be easily found on the market, one can imagine to develop a one-ste p process just involving a unique species of enzymes. The process can also be improved by operating in a continuous way and reusing enzymes. Among the various reactors, the continuous recycle membrane reactor, briefly CRMR, s eems to be the most attractive since it allows to perform hydrolysis while separating at the same time syrups from enzymes and non-hydrolyzed starch.