Modelling of the Hydrolysis of Benzylpenicillin to 6-Aminopenicillanic Acid and Phenyl Acetic Acid by an Immobilised Penicillin Amidase in a Small Pilot Plant Batch Recirculated Reactor

This paper deals with the modelling of the hydrolysis of benzylpenicillin to 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) and phenyl acetic acid (PAA) in a small pilot plant batch recirculated reactor by an immobilised penicillin amidase preparation. By using the following linearised form for an integrated Michaelis-Menten equation Et/V₀X=α+β| In (1-X)/X| where α and β are reaction kinetic parameters, good correlations are obtained of α and β with linear velocity across the reactor, substrate concentration and temperature of operation. A process to determine α and β from initial velocity measurements is outlined. The applicability of the above equation to published data is also analysed.