Performance of membrane fixed biocatalyst reactors. I: Membrane reactor systems and modelling.

Enzymatic membrane reactors are discussed according to the state of biocatalyst and driving force of reaction. Particular attention is given to the Capillary Membrane Fixed Enzyme Reactor (CAMFER) for its favorable characteristics. It is shown that, for a practical range of operation conditions, both kinetic and mass transfer effects must be considered simultaneously. Three modes of operation were investigated in detail using enzymatic lactose hydrolysis as a model reaction: Diffusional reactor, Recycle reactor, and Backflush reactor. In the comparison, superior performance of the CAMFER in diffusional mode was clearly demonstrated.