EXTRACTION OF LACTIC-ACID FROM FERMENTED BROTH WITH MICROPOROUS HOLLOW-FIBER MEMBRANES

Non-dispersive solvent extraction of lactic acid based on anion-exchan ge reaction with tri-n-octylmethylammonium chloride dissolved in oleyl alcohol, the optimum extraction reagents selected for extractive ferm entation of lactic acid with Lactobacillus rhamnosus, was attempted in a microporous hollow fiber membrane device. A satisfactory recovery o f lactic acid from both aqueous solution and actual fermented broth wa s accomplished, signifying the great potential of integrating the memb rane extraction with fermentation process. A theoretical model which t ook into account the mass transfer resistances across organic and aque ous films and membrane was developed to analyze and predict the extrac tion behavior. The model prediction was found to be in good agreement with the experimentally observed results. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B. V.