Effect of surfactants and biomass on the gas/liquid mass transfer in an aqueous‐silicone oil two‐phase partitioning bioreactor using Rhodococcus erythropolis T902.1 to remove VOCs from gaseous effluents |
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| Authors: | Jean‐Marc Aldric Sébastien Gillet Frank Delvigne Christophe Blecker Frédéric Lebeau Jean‐Paul Wathelet Geralda Manigat Philippe Thonart |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Centre Wallon de Biologie Industrielle, Unité de Bio‐industries, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, Passage des déportés, 2, B‐5030 Gembloux, Belgium;2. Technologie des Industries agro‐alimentaires, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, Passage des déportés, 2, B‐5030 Gembloux, Belgium;3. Unité de mécanique et construction, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, Passage des déportés, 2, B‐5030 Gembloux, Belgium;4. Unité de Chimie générale et organique, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, Passage des déportés, 2, B‐5030 Gembloux, Belgium |
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| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: The two‐phase partitioning bioreactor (TPPB) has become a new strategy for waste gas treatment. However, the impact of biomass and surfactants on gas/liquid (G/L) mass transfer needs to be better evaluated because the effects on the mass transfer coefficient KL and the interfacial area a, respectively, remains misunderstood. RESULTS: This study showed that, first, the surfactant extract produced by Rhodococcus erythropolis reduced the surface hydrophobicity of the biomass. Secondly, an optimal concentration appeared to exist for both components, respectively 0.5 g L?1 and 0.7 g L?1 for biomass (B) and surfactant extract (SE) when the global mass transfer coefficient (KLa) of oxygen was measured in a silicone oil/water TPPB. However, the combination of B and SE was found to induce a negative synergism. In particular, SE improved the interfacial area a by increasing the bubble diameter, while B reduced it as soon as a concentration of 1 g L?1 was exceeded. In contrast, the SE acted negatively on the KL, while B improved it overall. CONCLUSION: Better consideration is needed of the effect of biotic components in order to understand the phenomenon of G/L mass transfer in a TPPB. The behaviour of biomass growth and surfactants may strongly influence the mathematical models proposed in the literature. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry |
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