The use of laboratory centrifugation studies to predict performance of industrial machines: Studies of shear-insensitive and shear-sensitive materials

A method for using a bench-top centrifuge is described in order to mimic th e recovery performance of an industrial-scale centrifuge, in this case a co ntinuous-flow disc stack separater. Recovery performance was determined for polyvinyl acetate particles and for biological process streams of yeast ce ll debris and protein precipitates. Recovery of polyvinyl acetate particles was found to be well predicted for these robust particles. The laboratory centrifugation scale-down technique again predicted the performance of the disc stack centrifuge for the recovery of yeast cell debris particles altho ugh there was some suggestion of over-prediction at high levels of debris r ecovery due to the nature of any cell debris aggregates present. The labora tory centrifuge scale-down technique also proved to be an important investi gative probe into the extent of shear-induced breakup of shear-sensitive pr otein precipitate aggregates during recovery in continuous high speed centr ifuges. Such breakup can lead to over 10-fold reduction in separator capaci ty. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.