| Abstract: | Membrane technology is penetrating the corn refining industry in a variety of applications. The largest single use to date is probably clarification of corn starch hydrolysates where it can substantially reduce operating and waste disposal costs. Bioproducts produced from dextrose by fermentation and/or enzymatic reactions are being concentrated, fractionated or purified to varying extents by several membrane technologies. These bioconversion reaction steps could also benefit by coupling the appropriate membrane to the reaction vessel or fermenter as a continuous membrane reactor. This has been shown to improve enzyme utilization and reduce reaction time in saccharification and improve fermentation productivity and reduce downstream costs in fermentation. |
