Continuous hydrolysis of olive oil by lipase in microporous hydrophobic membrane bioreactor

Continuous hydrolysis of olive oil byCandida cylindracea’s lipase was studied in a microporous hydrophobic membrane bioreactor. Olive oil and buffer solution, fed continuously through two compartments partitioned by membrane, caused reaction at the interface of lipase-adsorbed membrane and buffer solution. Fatty acid was obtained in a single phase without being mixed with components of other phases. At all mean residence times, countercurrent flow mode was superior to cocurrent one. The lipase was adsorbed onto the membrane, and its adsorption was suggested to be partially specific from the experiments with enzymes having various levels of purity. The percent hydrolysis depended hyperbolically on the interfacial enzyme concentration. The hydrolysis seemed to be limited by diffusion of fat or fatty acid through the micropores of the membrane at higher interfacial enzyme concentrations. The lipase was stabilized significantly by glycerol added to the buffer solution. Satisfactory performance of the membrane bioreactor was obtained in a longterm continuous operation which lasted for 24 days by feeding buffer-glycerol (18.0%) solution over the adsorbed lipase. The operational half-life of the adsorbed enzyme was 15 days at 40 C.     

Separation of di- and tripeptides with solvent extraction and an emulsion liquid membrane

The extraction equilibria of various di- and tripeptides with di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA) were studied at low pH values. The complex extracted to organic phase consisted of one molecule of peptide and two molecules of D2EHPA dimer. The extraction constants of the peptides correlated well with the distribution coefficients of peptides between 1-octanol and water, which is a measure of hydrophobicity. The permeation rates of peptides through an emulsion liquid membrane were examined by using D2EHPA as a carrier, Span 80 as an emulsifier and kerosene as a diluent. The rates varied considerably with peptide type, depending upon the hydrophobicity.     

Performance prediction of a hybrid‐excitation synchronous machine with axially arranged excitation poles and permanent‐magnet poles

This paper presents a method of predicting the steady‐state performance of a new hybrid‐excitation synchronous machine (HESM) theoretically. The field pole of this HESM is axially divided into two parts; one is an excitation part and the other a permanent‐magnet (PM) part. A nonlinear equivalent circuit, which can include the saliency of the rotor and the magnetic saturation due to the iron core, is derived. Based on this equivalent circuit, the steady‐state performance of the HESM is calculated, and the results are confirmed through experiments. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 150(2): 43–49, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20033     

Characteristics of estrogen decomposition by ozonation.

Since the natural estrogens 17 beta-estradiol (E2) and estron (E1), and the synthetic estrogen 17 alpha-ethynyl estradiol (EE2) have strong endocrine disrupting effects and the tendency to persist in effluent from wastewater treatment plants, effective measures are needed to remove them from wastewater. In this research, to gain an understanding of the characteristics of estrogen decomposition by ozonation, experiments were conducted using effluent from an actual wastewater treatment plant. In this experiment, estrogen was added to effluent at a concentration of 200 ng/l and 20 ng/l before the ozonation experiments. The results showed 90% or more of estrogen concentration and estrogenic activity of E2, El and EE2 to be removed at an ozone dose of 1 mg/l. At an ozone dose of 3 mg/l, the estrogen concentration and estrogenic activity of E2, El and EE2 in the treated water fell below the detection limit. The removal rate was not influenced by the kind of estrogen. No generation of byproducts with estrogenic activity was observed. The authors conclude that estrogen in secondary treated wastewater can be almost entirely removed at the practical ozone dose rate applied for the purpose of disinfection, which is up to about 5 mg/l.     

Studies on syntheses and permeabilities of special polymer membranes. XVI. Permeation and separation characteristics of aqueous polymer solutions for acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer membranes

The permeation and separation characteristics of aqueous polymer solutions using acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer membranes were investigated under various conditions. The membranes obtained from dimethyl sulfoxide solution of acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer have not a sufficient reproducibility and stability of permeation. These lacks were improved by adding ethylene glycol or glycerol to the casting solution and treating the membranes with pressure. The permeation and separation characteristics were influenced significantly by the additional amount of above additives, the heat treatment temperature, and the operating pressure. It was found that the concentration polarization of poly(vinyl alcohol) molecules onto the surface of the acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer membranes is smaller than that onto hydrophilic polymer membranes such as membranes of cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, and nylon 12, etc. Moreover, the acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer membranes show better performance for separation and concentrating of aqueous polymer solutions than hydrophilic membranes.     

Studies on the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of olefinic protons of conjugated fatty acid methyl esters

The NMR spectra of olefinic protons in the four representative conjugated fatty acid methyl esters, methylcis-9,trans-11-octadecadienoate, methyltrans-9,trans-11-octadecadienoate, methyl α eleostearate, and methyl β eleostearate, were studied. The chemical shift of each olefinic proton in these compounds was determined by considering their intramolecular environment. Coupling constants were also obtained as the results of spectral analysis.     

Anodic characteristics of amorphorous palladium-base alloys in sodium chloride solutions

The anodic characteristics of a variety of amorphous palladium-base alloys were examined with a view to their use for the production of sodium hypochlorite by electrolysis of dilute sodium chloride solutions at ambient temperature. The corrosion resistance of palladium-metalloid alloys was obtained by alloying with platinum group metals and/or valve metals. Among these alloys, rhodium-containing alloys showed high electrocatalytic activities for chlorine evolution. Surface activation treatment was, however, necessary to obtain sufficiently high activities for chlorine evolution at low overpotentials. Surface-activated amorphous alloys possessed considerably higher current efficiency for chlorine evolution in comparison with currently used anodes.     

An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of electrocatalytic activity of platinum group metals for chlorine evolution

A correlation of the catalytic activity for anodic chlorine evolution of platinum group metals to the nature of the surface film formed during chlorine evolution in a sodium chloride solution was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The change in the surface film with increasing potential was found on platinum, including an increase in the cationic valence. This seemed responsible for the decrease in the activity for chlorine evolution on platinum in the high potential region. Increasing potential did not result in the appreciable increase in the cationic valence in the surface film on the other platinum group metals. Replacement of hydroxyl ions in the surface film by chloride ions became easier in the order of rhodium, iridium and palladium, and the activity for anodic chlorine evolution increased in this order due possibly to an increase in the amount of chloride ions in the film which seemed to be one of the reactants in the rate determining electrochemical desorption of adsorbed chlorine atom. Chlorine molecules adsorbed on the surface film were also found. It was assumed that the activity for anodic chlorine evolution might be low when the metal surface was covered by a large amount of molecular chlorine which was the reaction product.     

Preparation of Aluminum Nitride Powder from Aluminum Polynuclear Complexes

AIN powder was synthesized from aluminum polynuclear complexes. Basic aluminum chloride and basic aluminum lactate were used as the aluminum polynuclear complexes. These starting materials and glucose were dissolved in water and mixed homogeneously. AIN powder was obtained by calcining after drying and precalcining at 800°C under nitrogen gas flow. Then excess carbon was removed by firing in air. Nitridation in the system was investigated and compared with that in the alumina–carbon black system. It was found that in our reaction system nitridation began and proceeded at lower calcination temperatures above 1200°C than in the alumina–carbon black system. Using aluminum polynuclear complexes, AIN was synthesized through the nitridation of γ-alumina and produced in a very fine and sharp particle size distribution.     

Free primary alcohols in oils and waxes from germs,kernels and other components of nuts,seeds, fruits and cereals

The composition of free primary alcohols in oils and waxes obtained from the germ, kernel, seed coat, shell and skin (peel) of various nuts, seeds, fruits and cereals and from the chrysalis of silkworm was examined. These alcohols are usually present in small amounts, along with large quantities of hydrocarbons, esters and glycerides in oils and waxes. Thus, it is necessary to remove hydrocarbons, esters and glycerides to analyze the alcohols. We found that preparative reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was the best way to isolate alcohols from oils and waxes. Gas liquid chromatography (GLC) then detected hexacosanol, octacosanol and triacontanol in the oils and waxes. Octacosanol usually was the predominant alcohol. Relationships between the organs from nuts, seeds, fruits and cereals and the contents of octacosanol are suggested. For example, degermed kernels contained two times more octacosanol than the germ, and the skin coat and shell contained one-half and one-fortieth the octacosanol of the germ, respectively.