426 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
5.0 PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS
5.1 Design Factors
The engineer designing an ion exchange column operation usually will
prefer to work with the simplest kinetic model and linear driving force
approximations. The weakness ofthis approach is that any driving force law
only regards the momentary exchange rate as a hnction of the solute
concentration in the bulk solution and the average concentration in the
particle, neglecting the effect of concentration profiles in the particle.
Nevertheless, the linear driving force approach provides an approximation
that is sufficiently accurate for the engineer.
5.2 Scaling-up Fixed Bed Operations
Rodrigues[66] has presented empirical and semi-empirical approaches
which may be used to design ion exchange columns when the solute in the
feedstream is co and the flow-rate is uo. The breakthrough point is usually set
at the point where the effluent concentration increases to 5% of co. The design
equations relate the total equilibrium ion exchange capacity (e) to the volume
of resin required (V,) to the time of breakthrough (b).
In the empirical approach, the overall mass balance is given by the
equation:
where
Eq. (16) t, = 5 (1 + 5)
(the stoichiometric time)
Eq. (17) 5 = (1- &)e/& Qo
(the mass capacity factor)
Eq. (18) 5 = &VhO (the space time)
and Vis the bed volume with void space E.
It is usually necessary to modify this resin amount by a safety factor
(1.2 to 1.5) to adjust for the portion of the total equilibrium capacity that can
actually be used at flow rate u and to adjust for any dispersive effects that
might occur during operation.
Ion Exchange 427
The semi-empirical approach involves the use of the mass transfer
zones. This approach has been described in detail specifically for ion
exchange resins by Passin0.[~'1 He referred to the method as the operating line
and regenerating line process design and used a graphical description to solve
the mass transfer problems.
For the removal of Ca" from a feedstream, the mass transfer can be
modeled using Fig. 21. The upper part shows an element of ion exchange
column containing a volume v of resin to which is added a volume V, of the
feedstream containing Ca". It is added at a flow rate (Q) for an exhaustion
time t, . The concentration of Ca* as it passes through the column element
is reduced from xal to x,,. Therefore, the resin, which has an equilibrium
ion exchange capacity Cy increases its concentration of Catt fromy,, to yal.
In this model, fresh resin elements are continuously available at a flow rate
(F') = v/t, , which is another way of saying the mass transfer zone passes down
through the column.
The lower part of Fig. 21 shows the operating lines for this process.
The ion exchange equilibrium line describes the selectivity in terms of a
Freundlich, Langmuir or other appropriate model.
The equations for the points in the lower part are given by:
Eq. (19) Xexl =xo (Ca" in the feedstream)
(Ca" in the exhausted streamstream)
x dv
(average Ca* in the effluent)
x,, = -
v,
Eq. (21)
Eq. (22) Yd=O (Ca" in the regenerated resin)
and the slope of the operating line:
428 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
.- 5
ti;
C
Q)
01
E
-.
Ion Exchange 429
The value of c,,, C and v are known so that for any V, value, the slope
of the operating line can be calculated from Eq. 23. The specific points: x,
is given, x, is obtained by graphic integration fromthe breakthrough curves.
After operation and regeneration, the value ofy,, may not be zero but may
be between 0.02 and 0.05 ifthe regeneration is not complete. The application
of this technique has been described in terms of basic design parameters such
as number of transfer units, the height of a transfer unit and mass transfer
coefficient. [as1[691
The data generated with the laboratory column may be scaled-up to
commercial size equipment. Using the same flow rate (on a mass basis) as
used in the laboratory experiments, the appropriate increase in column size
over that used in the laboratory is a direct ratio of the volumes to be treated
compared to that treated in the laboratory equipment.
If a reasonable height to diameter ratio (approximately 1 : 1) is obtained
in the scaleup using the bed depth involved in the laboratory procedure, then
that bed depth is maintained and the cross-sectional area of the column is
increased. However, if the sizing is such that the column is much larger in
diameter than the bed depth, scaleup should be done to maintain a height to
diameter ratio of approximately 1. The required resin volume is determined
by maintaining the same mass flow conditions (liters of feed solution per
minute per cubic meter of installed resin) as was used in the laboratory
operation.
Appropriate tank space must be left to accommodate the backwash
operation. This is typically 50% of bed depth for cation exchange resins and
100% expansion in the case of anion exchange resins.
5.3 Sample Calculation
The purification of lysine-HC1 from a fermentation broth will be used
to illustrate the calculations involved in scaling-up laboratory data.
The laboratory fermentation broth, which is similar to the commercial
broth, contained 2.0 g/O. 1 1 lysine, much smaller amounts of Caw, Kf and
other amino acids. The broth was passed through 500 ml of strong acid cation
resin, DowexB HCR-S, in the NH,’ form. The flow rate was 9 ml/min or
1.77 mVmin per cm2 of resin. It was determined that the resin capacity
averaged 1 15 g of lysine-HC1 per liter of resin. It may be noted that since the
equivalent molecular weight of lysine-HC1 is 109.6 g and the “theoretical”
capacity of DowexB HCR-S is 2.0 meq/ml, the operating capacity is 52% of
theoretical capacity.
430 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
The commercial operation must be capable of producing 9,000 metric
tons of lysine (as lysinedihydrochloride-H,O) per year. With a 2.0 g/O. 1 1
concentration of lysine in the fermentation broth, the number of liters of broth
to be treated each year are:
9,000 m tons 146.19 (MW of lysine)
X
Yr 237.12 (MWofL-HCl-H,O)
x- Os1 x- lo6g = 27.7 x 107 i/p
2.0g Mton
If the plant operates 85% of the time, the flow rate would have to be:
27.7 x lo7 l/yrxlx 1Yr
0.85 365 days
1 day
24 hr
-=3.73x104 l/hr
At a resin capacity of 1 15 g/1 of resin, the amount of resin that must be
available is:
l(resin) 219.12(MWof L-HCl) x-x 2.0g
115 g 146.19(MWof L) 0.1 1
3’73x1041/hr =9.71~103 l/hr
hr
To obtain the maximum utilization of the resin in this operation, series
bed operation (Carrousel) operation is recommended. This operation uses
three beds of resin in a method having two beds operating in series while the
product is being eluted from the third. The freshly regenerated resin is placed
in the polishing position when the totally loaded lead bed is removed for
regeneration.
Ion Exchange 431
The elutionhegeneration step, which includes backwashing, eluting,
and rinsing the resin, might take up to four hours. Therefore, enough resin
must be supplied to take up the lysine-HC1 presented during that time. The
resin requirement for the commercial scaleup operation would be:
9.71 x lo3 l(resin) 4 hr
hr bed
x-=3.88x104 l(resin)/bed
Eq. (27)
Thus, three beds of 39 m3 resin each are required to produce 9,000
metric tons of lysine/year.
5.4 Comparison of Packed and Fluidized Beds
Belter and co-w~rkers[~~] developed a periodic countercurrent process
for treating a fermentation broth to recover novobiocin. They found that they
were able to scaleup the laboratory results to production operations ifthe two
systems have similar mixing patterns and the same distribution of residence
times in the respective columns. The mixing patterns are the same when the
space velocity (FN,) and the volume ration (&IC) are the same. This is shown
in Fig. 22 for the effluent concentration of novobiocin from laboratory and
production columns.
The scaling-up of packed beds is subject to the difficulties of maintain-
ing even flow distributions. Removal of solution through screens on side
walls is not recommended and the flow of resin from one section into another
of much greater area could distort the resin flow profile.
The problems of scaling-up fluidized bed operations are more difficult
in terms of design calculations, but flow distribution is more easily designed
because of the mobility of the resin. The degree of axial mixing of the liquid
and the resin has to be taken into account when calculating the changes
necessary in the bed diameter and bed height. Figure 23 shows the increases
in bed height necessary when scaling-up packed and fluidized beds with bed
diameter
Mass transfer coefficients have been correlated for packed and fluid-
ized beds.[72] The mass transfer coefficients for packed beds are 50 to 100%
greater than for fluidized beds.
The volume of resin in a packed bed is about halfthat in a fluidized bed,
but the packed bed column may be up to eight times smaller. Despite this, a
complete fluidized bed operation may still be smaller than a fixed bed
operation. Also, fluidized bed columns do not operate at high pressures so
they can be constructed more economically.
432 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
01 ‘1 1’ I’ ”
0 30 60 90 120 150 110 210 240 210
TIME IN HlNUTfS
Figure 22. Comparison of experimental curves for laboratory and production column^.^^^]
Figure 23. Scaleup relationships for fluidized beds.[7’]
Ion Exchange 433
5.5 Chromatographic Scale-up Procedures
The aim of scaling-up a chromatographic process is to obtain the same
yield and product quality in the same time period on laboratory, preparative
and industrial scale, Laboratory analytical purifications tend to be optimized
only for resolution of individual solutes, however, at the preparative and
production scale, it is necessary also to maximize throughput. Table 14[731
shows the effect of chromatographic operating parameters on resolution and
throughput. While column length is a critical factor for resolution with gel
filtration and isocratic elutions, it has little effect on resolution with gradient
elution in adsorption chromatography. The wall effects on resolution are very
noticeable with small radius columns, but decrease as the column length is
increased.
Table 14. Effects of Process Parameters on Resolution and Throughput[73]
Resolution Throughput
Parameter varies with varies with
Column Length (L) L I/L
Column Radius (r) Some effect r2
Temperature (T) Positive effect T
Viscosity (q) Negative effect 1h
Sample Volume (V) 14 ‘-‘optimum I V
Flow Rate (J) 1WJoptimuml J
Voser and Walli~er[~~] viewed scaleup as a three step process involving
selection of a process strategy, evaluation of the maximum and optimal bed
height and finally column design. The selection ofa process strategy involves
choosing the direction of flow, frequency of backwashing, the operation with
positive head pressure or only hydrostatic pressure, and the use of a single
column or a series of columns in batch or semi-continuous operation. The
434 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
maximum feasible bed height is determined by keeping the optimal labora-
tory-scale specific volume velocity (bed volumehour) constant. The limiting
factors will be either pressure drop or unfavorable adsorptioddesorption
kinetics since the linear velocity also increases with increasing bed height.
Bed heights from 15 cm to as high as 12 m have been reported. The column
diameter is then selected to give the required bed volume. The column design
combines these column dimensions with the practical considerations of
available space, needed flexibility, construction difficulty and flow distribu-
tion and dilution for the columns.
The scaleup considerations of column chromatography for protein
isolation has been described by Charm and Matte0.1~~1 When several hundred
liters of a protein feedstream must be treated, the resin may be suspended in
the solution, removed after equilibration by filtration and loaded into a
column from which the desired proteins may be eluted. Adsorption onto a
previously packed column was not recommended by them since they feared
suspended particles would clog the interstices of the column, causing reduced
flow rates and increased pressure drops across the column. The reduced flow
rate may lead to loss of enzyme activity because of the increased time the
protein is adsorbed on the resin.
It is important that all of the resin slurry be added to the column in one
operation to obtain uniform packing and to avoid the formation of air pockets
in the column. An acceptable alternative, described by Whatman,[76] allows
the addition ofthe adsorbent slurry in increments. When the resin has settled
to a packed bed of approximately 5 cm, the outlet is opened. The next
increment of the slurry is added after the liquid level in the column has
dropped. It is important that the suspended adsorbent particles do not
completely settle between each addition.
Stacey and coworkers[77] have used the relationships shown in Table
15 to scaleup the purification from an 8 mg protein sample to a 400 mg
sample. The adsorbent used in both columns was a Delta-Pak wide-pore C-
18 material. When eluting the protein, the flow rate should change so that the
linear velocity ofthe solvent through the column stays the same. The flow rate
is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the column. The gradient
duration must be adjusted so that the total number of column volumes
delivered during the gradient remain the same. As with size exclusion
chromatography, the mass load on the preparative column is proportional to
the ratio of the column volumes. Figure 24 shows that the chromatograms
from the 8 mg separation is very similar to that obtained for the 400 mg
sample.
Ion Exchange 435
.4
.
Table 15 Scale-up Calculations[77]
8mg Sample
Small Scale Preparative Scale
Column Dimensions 0.39 x 30 cm 3 x 25 cm
Flow Rate Scale Factor
(3.0)* = 59
(0.39)2
Sample Load Scale Factor
= 49
(3.0)2 x 25
(0.39)2 x 25
1.5 mVmin 90 ml/min
400 mg
Gradient Duration Calculation 40 min 33 min
column 90 x (Gradient Duration) - 16.7
1'5x40 46.7 -
(0.195)2 zx 30 Volume (1.5)2lcx25
Grad. Duration = 33 min.
0.8
f
1 O"
0
8
Minutes
Figure 24. Laboratory and preparative scale separation of cytochrome C digest.[77]
436 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
Ladisch['*I has worked with a variety of column sizes ranging from 2
to 16 mm in diameter and 10 to 600 cm in length. His experience is that
published semiempirical scaleup correlations are usefbl in obtaining a first
estimate on large scale column performance.
When scaling-up a chromatographic process, it may be necessary to
change the order of certain steps from that used in the laboratory. Gel
filtration, though a frequent first step at the laboratory scale, is not suitable
for handling large scale feedstream volumes.[79] When gel filtration is used
to separate molecules of similar molecular weights, sample sizes may range
from 1% to 5% of the total gel volume. Thus, a 100 liter feedstream would
require a gel filtration column of 2,000 to 10,000 liters. When one is
separating a large molecule from small molecules, as in desalting operations,
the applied volume may be up to 30% of the gel volume.
On the other hand, ion exchange chromatography is a very good first
step because its capacity is approximately 30 mg of protein per ml of resin.
This capacity is relatively independent of feed volume. For the same 100 liter
feedstream, only a 20 liter ion exchange column would be required.
5.6 Pressure Drop
The pressure drop across an ion exchange bed has been represented by
an equation[80] which depends on the average particle diameter, the void
fraction in the bed, an exponent and a friction factor dependent on the
Reynolds number, a shape factor, the density of the fluid, the viscosity of the
fluid and the flow rate.
While that equation has internally consistent units (English system),
the variables are not normally measured in those units. Another disadvantage
is that one must check graphs of the exponent and friction factor versus the
Reynolds number to use the equation.
For laminar flow with spherical particles, the equation can be simpli-
fied to:
AP O.0738p(cp)V0 (Ilmin) (1- E)~
-(bar/cm)=
Eq. (28) L Dp2 (mm2) E3
For most ion exchange resins, the void volume is about 0.38, so that (1- 2)l
2 = 4.34 and:
Ion Exchange 437
AP
- (bar / cm) =
Eq. (29) L D; (mm2)
0.32~ (cp) V, (I / min)
Table 16 shows the agreement between results from experiments and those
calculated with this equation for several ion exchange resins.
Table 16. Pressure Drop for Commercial Ion Exchange Resins
Resin
Flow Rate Mean Bead Pressure Drop (barkm)
(L/min) Diameter (mm) Calculated Measured
Dowex SBR-P 15 1.4 0.750 5.28 5.08
Dowex WGR-2 22.7 0.675 1 .oo 1.06
Dowex MWA-1 15.1 0.675 0.67 0.77
DowexMSA- 1 37.8 0.650 1.79 2.13
DowexMSC- 1 30.3 0.740 1 .os 1.22
Figure 25 shows the use of a size factor for resins which is used to
develop a pressure factor. This pressure factor can then be used to calculate
the pressure drop under conditions of different solution viscosities, flow rates
or particle size distributions once the pressure drop is known at one viscosity,
flow rate and particle size distribution.
438 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
.d B
x
LDoooooooo
O~N+Wod~d$
!I
%I
2
I:
n
a
Ion Exchange 439
5.7 Ion Exchange Resin Limitations
When ion exchange resins are used for an extended period of time, the
exchange capacities are gradually decreased. Possible causes for these
decreases include organic contamination due to the irreversible adsorption of
organics dissolved in the feedstream, the oxidative decomposition due to the
cleaving ofthe polymer cross-links by their contact with oxidants, the thermal
decomposition of functional groups due to the use of the resin at high
temperature and the inorganic contaminations due to the adsorption of
inorganic ions.
When a resin bed has been contaminated with organic foulants, a
procedure is available that can help to restore the resin.[*l] Three bed volumes
of 10% NaCl - 2%NaOH solution are passed through the resin bed at 50°C.
The first bed volume is passed through at the same flow rate, followed by a
through rinsing and two regenerations with the standard regenerate.
If the fouling is due to microbial contamination, the same authors
recommend backwashing the bed and then filling the entire vessel with a dilute
solution (< 0.05%) of organic chlorine. This solution should be circulated
through the bed for 8 hours at a warm (50°C) temperature. After this
treatment, the resin should be backwashed, regenerated and rinsed before
returning it to service. This procedure may cause some oxidation of the
polymeric resin, thereby reducing its effective cross-linking and strength.
Therefore, treating the resin in this fashion should not be a part of the normal
resin maintenance program.
Physical stability of a properly made cation or anion exchange resin is
more than adequate for any of the typical conditions of operation. These resins
can be made to have a physical crush strength in excess of 300 grams per bead.
Perhaps more important are the limitations inherent in the structure of
certain polymers or functional groups due to thermal and chemical degrada-
tion. Thermally, styrene-based cation exchange resins can maintain their
chemical and physical characteristics at temperatures in excess of 125°C. At
temperatures higher than this, the rate of degradation increases. Operating
temperatures as high as 150°C might be used, depending on the required life
for a particular operation to be economically attractive.
Strong base anion exchange resins, on the other hand, are thermally
degraded at the amine functional group. Operating in the chloride form, this
is not a severe limitation, with temperatures quite similar to those for cation
exchange resins being tolerable. However, most strong base anion exchange
resins used involve either the hydroxide form, the carbonate or bicarbonate
form. In these ionic forms, the amine functionality degrades to form lower
440 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
amines and alcohols. Operating temperatures in excess of 50°C should be
avoided for Type I strong base anion exchange resins in the hydroxide form.
Type I1 strong base resins in the hydroxide form are more susceptible to
thermal degradation and temperatures in excess of 35°C should be avoided.
The amine functionality of weak base resins is more stable in the free-
base form than that of strong base resins. Styrenedivinylbenzene weak base
resins may be used at temperatures up to 100°C with no adverse effects.
Chemical attack most frequently involves degradation due to oxida-
tion. This occurs primarily at the cross-linking sites with cation exchange
resins and primarily on the amine sites of the anion exchange resins. From
an operating standpoint and, more importantly, from a safety standpoint,
severe oxidizing conditions are to be avoided in ion exchange columns.
Oidizing agents, whether peroxide or chlorine, will degrade ion
exchange resins.[82] On cation resins, it is the tertiary hydrogen attached to
a carbon involved in a double bond that is most vulnerable to oxidative
degradation. In the presence of oxygen, this tertiary hydrogen is transformed
first to the hydroperoxide and then to the ketone, resulting in chain scission.
The small chains become soluble and are leached from the resin. This chain
scission may also be positioned such that the cross-linking of the resin is
decreased, as evidenced by the gradual increase in water retention values.
The degradation of anion resins occurs not only by chain scission, but
also at the more vulnerable nitrogen on the amine functionality. As an
example, the quaternary nitrogen on Type I strong base anion resins is
progressively transformed to tertiary, secondary, primary nitrogen and
finally to a nonbasic product.
Oxidative studies on resins with different polymer backbones and
hctionalities have been performed as accelerated tests.[83] The data is
shown in Table 17 for polystyrene and polydiallylamine resins. Although the
polydiallylamine resins have a higher initial capacity, they are much more
susceptible to oxidative degradation. When the polystyrene resin has a
mixture of primary and secondary amino groups or when a hydroxy-
containing group is attached to the amine of the functional group, the
susceptibility to oxidation is enhanced. Thus one can understand the lower
thermal limit for Type I1 anion resins compared to Type I resins.
The effect of thermal cycling on strong base anion resins has been
studied by Kysela and bra be^.[*^] The average drop per cycle in strong base
capacitywas 2.1 x 10-4mm01 (0H~)/m1overthe480cyc1esbetween20"Cand
80°C. Figure 26 shows the decrease in total exchange capacity (open circles)
and in strong base (salt splitting) capacity (solid circles) for each of the
individual resins included in the study.
Ion Exchange 441
Table 17. Oxidation of Polystyrene and Polylamine Resins in a One-Week
Accelerated Test at 90°C[831
Polystyrene
Polystyrene
Polystyrene
Polydiallylamine
Polydiallylarnine
Polydiallylamine
Initial Base
R-CHzN(CH3)z 4.4
R-CH~N(CHZCH~)~ 4.5
R-CH~N(CZH~OH)~ 3.6
N-H 8.3
N-CHzCHs 7.3
N-CaH7 6.7
Base Capacity Lost
1
2
17
37
37
31
As would be expected, the combination ofthermal and osmotic shocks
has been shown to have a large effect on the osmotic strength of anion
resins.[85] This is illustrated in Fig. 27, where the decrease is shown to be over
15% in just 150 cycles. The important processing point to remember from
this is that if the regeneration of a resin is performed at a temperature more
than 2OoC different from the temperature of the operating (loading) stream,
it is advisable first to adjust the temperature of the resin with distilled water
until it is at the temperature of the regenerant.
5.8 Safety Considerations
Safety considerations in the use of ion exchange systems include
understanding the reactions which will take place during the contact of resin
and solution being treated. The possibility of reactions being catalyzed in the
presence ofthe hydrogen form of a strong acid cation or of the hydroxide form
of the strong anion must be studied. These resins produce acid or base,
respectively, during treatment of salt solutions.
If reactants or products of the ion exchange reaction are hazardous,
appropriate protective equipment should be included in the system design.
For example, during the demineralization of metal cyanide by-products,
hydrogen cyanide solution is an intermediate formed in the cation exchange
unit. The processing equipment must be designed to ensure containment of
this solution until it has passed through the anion exchange unit which picks
up the cyanide ions.
442 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
I I I I I
WIW AI
1.3 I I I I
Figure 26. Dependence of the strong base capacity on the number of cycles between 20°C
and 80°C.[841
Ion Exchange 443
\4
83
-
80 0
0 50 100 150
NWER OF CYCLES
Figure 27. The effect of thermal and osmotic cycling on the osmotic strength of a strong
base anion resin, AV-17. (I) Effect of thermal cycling; (2) effect of osmotic cycling; (3)
effect of thermal and osmotic cycling (cold alkali to hot acid); (4) effect of thermal and
osmotic cycling (hot alkali to cold acid).rs5I
Since the ion exchange resins are synthetic organic compounds, they
are susceptible to decomposition reactions with strong oxidizing agents, such
as nitric acid. Close control of reactant or regenerant concentrations,
temperature, and contact time may be required.
When the treated solution is to be used as food, food additives, or in
pharmaceutical applications, resins must be used which are acceptable for
such processing.
6.0 ION EXCHANGE OPERATIONS
The typical cycle of operations involving ion exchange resins include
pretreatment of the resin and possibly of the feed solution; loading the resin
444 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
with the solutes to be adsorbed by contacting the resin with the feed solution;
and elution of the desired material from the resin. The scale of operation has
ranged from analytical applications with a few milligrams of resin and
microgram quantities of material to commercial production units containing
several cubic meters of resin to produce metric tons of material. The loading
may be applied batchwise, to a semi-continuous batch slurry, or to a column
filled with resin which may be operated in a semi-continuous, continuous, or
chromatographic manner.
A list of designers and manufacturers of ion exchange equipment is
given in Table 18. The list is weighted toward those companies that operate
in the United States.
Table 18. Ion Exchange Process Designers and Manufacturers
omDanv Location
Belco Pollution Control Corp.
Chern Nuclear Systems
Cochrane Divison of Crane Cop.
Downey Welding & Manufacturing Co.
Envirex Corp.
Epicor
Emo Water Conditioners
Hittrnan Nuclear & Development
Hungerford & Terry, Inc.
Industrial Filter and Pump
lnfilco Degrernont, Inc.
lntensa
Kinetico, Inc.
Kurita
Liquitech, Div. of Thermotics, Inc.
Mannesrnann
Mitco Water Labs, Inc.
Permutit, Division of Zum
Rock Valley Water Conditioning
Techni-Chern, Inc.
Unitech, Divsion of Ecodyne
United States Filter, Fluid System Corp.
U. S. FiIterllWT
Wynhausen Water Softener Company
Parsippany, NJ
Columbia, SC
King of Prussia, PA
Downey, CA
Waukesha, WI
Linden, NJ
St. Louis, MO
Columbia, MD
Clayton, NJ
Cicero, IL
Richmond, VA
Mexico City, Mexico
Newbury, OH
Japan
Houston, TX
Gemany
Winter Haven, FL
Warren, NJ
Rockford, IL
Belvidere, IL
Union, NJ
Whittier, CA
Rockford, IL
Los Angeles, CA
Ion Exchange 445
6.1 Pretreatment
Filtration, oil flotation and chemical clarification are the pretreat-
ment operations commonly employed with the feed stream. This pretreat-
ment is primarily concerned with the removal of excess amounts of
suspended solids, oils, greases and oxidative compounds. Suspended
solids, including bacteria and yeasts, in amounts exceeding approximately
50 mg/L should be removed prior to applying the fluid to the column to
prevent excessive pressure buildup and short operating cycle times. The
presence of oils and greases in excess amounts would coat the resin
particles, thereby dramatically reducing their effectiveness. Oils and
greases in concentrations above 10 mg/L should not be applied to resins in
either column or batch operations. Synthetic resins are subject to de-
cross-linking if oxidative materials are present in the feed solution or
eluant.
For many biochemical recovery applications, it is necessary to pretreat
the resin to ensure that the extractable level of the resin complies with Food
Additive Regulation 2 1 CFR 173.25 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic
Act. The pretreatment recommended for a column of resin in the backwashed,
settled and drained condition is:
1. Add three bed volumes of 4%NaOH at a rate sufficient to
allow 45 minutes of contact time.
2. Rinse with five bed volumes of potable water at the same
flow rate.
3. Addthreebedvolumes of 10%H2S0,0r5%HC1ataflow
rate that allows 45 minutes of contact time.
4. Rinse with five bed volumes of potable water.
5. Convert the resin to the desired ionic form by applying the
regenerant that will be used in subsequent cycles.
Ifthe column equipment has not been designed to handle acid solutions,
a 0.5% CaCl, solution or tap water may be used in place of H,SO, or HCl
for cation resins. Similarly, for anion resins, a 10% NaCl solution could be
used in place of acids.
6.2 Batch Operations
The batch contactor is essentially a single stage stirred reactor with a
strainer or filter separating the resin from the reaction mass once the reaction
446 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
is complete. This type of contactor has an advantage in some fermentation
operations because of its ability to handle slurries. Additional advantages
include the low capital cost and simplicity of operation.
In a batch operation, an ion exchange resin in the desired ionic form is
placed into a stirred reaction vessel containing the solution to be treated. The
mixture is stirred until equilibrium is reached (about 0.5 to 3 hours). Then
the resin is separated from the liquid phase by rinsing with the eluting
solution. An additional step may be required to reconvert the resin to the
regenerated form ifthis is not done by the eluting solvent. The cycle may then
be repeated.
The batch system is basically inefficient since the establishment of a
single equilibrium will give incomplete removal of the solute in the feed
solution. When the affinity ofthe resin for this solute is very high, it is possible
that the removal is sufficiently complete in one stage. The batch process has
the advantage over fixed bed processes that solutions containing suspended
solids may be treated. In these cases, the resin particles, loaded with the
adsorbate and rinsed from the suspended solids, may be placed in a column
for recovery of the adsorbate and for regeneration.
The batch contactor is limited to use with reactions that go to
completion in a single stage or in relatively few stages. Difficulties may also
arise with batch contactors if resin regeneration requires a greater number of
equilibrium stages than the service portion of the cycle.
6.3 Column Operations
Fixed Bed Columns. Column contactors allow multiple equilibrium
stages to be obtained in a single unit. This contactor provides for reactions
to be driven to the desired level ofcompletion in a single pass by adjusting the
resin bed depth and the flow conditions. The main components of a column
contactor are shown in Fig. 28. At the end of its useful work cycle, the resin
is backwashed, regenerated and rinsed for subsequent repetition of the work
cycle. Typically, this nonproductive portion of the cycle is a small fraction
of the total operating cycle.
Column contactors may be operated in cocurrent, countercurrent or
fluidized bed modes of operation. The cocurrent mode means that the
regenerant solution flows through the column in the same direction as the feed
solution. The countercurrent mode has the regenerant flowing in the opposite
direction as the feed solution.
Countercurrent operation of a column may be preferred to reduce the
ion leakage from a column. Ion leakage is defined as the amount of ion being
Ion Exchange 447
removed from solution which appears in the column effluent duringthe course
of the subsequent exhaustion phase. The leakage caused by re-exchange of
non-regenerated ions during the working phase of cocurrently regenerated
resin is substantially reduced with countercurrent regeneration.
Figure 28. Ion exchange column contactor.
The fixed bed column is essentially a simple pressure vessel. Each
vessel requires a complexity of ancillary equipment. Each column in a
cascade will require several automatic control valves and associated equip-
ment involving process computer controls to sequence the proper flow of
different influent streams to the resin bed.
Combinations of column reactors may sometimes be necessary to carry
out subsequent exchange processes, such as in the case of demineralization
(Fig. 29). As this figure shows, a column of cation exchange resin in the
hydrogen form is followed by a column of anion exchange resin in the
hydroxide form. A mixed bed, such as shown in Fig. 30, may also be used
for demineralization. Mixed bed operation has the advantage of producing
a significantly higher quality effluent than the cocurrently regenerated beds
of Fig. 29, but has the added difficulty of requiring separation ofthe two types
of resin prior to regeneration.
448 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
Na'CI'
Solution-
Cation Exctungor-
Packed Cot.
Anion Exchanger
$+cr 0+cr
@ +OH' H+OH-
@+CI' mod col.
&+OH' H+OH-
@+OH'
H+OH
HOH Solution
Figure 29. Demineralization ion exchange column scheme.
Anion Anion
Service Backwash Simultaneous Mixing
Cycle Regeneration
Figure 30. Operation of a mixed bed demineralization ion exchange column.
An important requirement for the successful operation of a mixed bed
is the carefbl separation of the strong base anion resin from the strong acid
cation resin by backwash fluidization, This is followed by contact of each
type of resin with its respective regenerant in a manner which minimizes the
Ion Exchange 449
cross contamination of the resins with the alternate regenerant. This requires
that the quantity of resin, particularly the cation resin, be precisely maintained
so that the anioncation interface will always be at the effluent distributor
level. Typically, matched pairs of resins are used so that an ideal separation
can be repeatedly achieved during this process. Inert resins are marketed
which enhance the distance between the anioncation interface and allow less
cross contamination during regeneration.Ig61
The air mixing of the anion and cation must also be performed in such
a manner that complete mixing of the resin and minimum air entrapment are
obtained at the end of the regeneration cycle.
Ion exchange is usually in a fixed bed process. However, a fixed bed
process has the disadvantage that it is cyclic in operation, that at any one
instant only a relatively small part of the resin in the bed is doing usefbl work
and that it cannot process fluids with suspended solids. Continuous ion
exchange processes and fluid bed systems have been designed to overcome
these shortcomings.
Continuous Column Operations. When the ionic load of the feed
solution is such that the regeneratiodelution portion of the operating cycle is
nearly as great or greater than the working portion, continuous contactors are
recommended instead of column contactors.
Continuous contactors operate as intermittently moving packed beds,
as illustrated by the Higgins conta~tor[~~] (Fig. 3 l), or as fluidized staged
(compartmented) columns, as shown in Fig. 32, by the Himsley
In the Higgins contactor, the resin is moved hydraulically up through
the contacting zone. The movement of resin is intermittent and opposite the
direction of solution flow except for the brief period of resin advancement
when both flows are cocurrent. This type of operation results in a close
approach to steady-state operations within the contactor.
Elegant slide valves are used to separate the adsorption, regeneration
and resin backwash stages. The contactor operates in predetermined cycles
and is an ideal process for feedstreams with no suspended solids.
The Higgins type of contactor is able to handle a certain amount of
slurry due to the continued introduction of fresh resin material to act as a filter
media during the operation. A lower resin inventory should result with
continuous contactors than with column reactors handling the same ionic load
feedstream.
contactor, [881[891[901
450 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
tion
4
Regenerant
5
Section
Figure 31. The Higgins contactor for continuous operation.[87]
Figure 32. The Himsley Continuous Fluid-Solid contactor.[88]
Ion Exchange 451
The major disadvantage of the Higgins contactor is the lifetime of the
resin. Estimates range from as high as 30% resin inventory replacement per
year due to attrition and breakage of the resin as it passes through the
valves. Lgll
In the Himsley type of contactor, the resin is moved from one
compartment or stage to the next countercurrent to the feed solution flow on
atimed basis that allows forthe rate ofequilibrium resin loading in each stage.
Thus each compartment or tray is designed to accommodate specific feed
compositions and effluent requirements. Equipment from different commer-
cial suppliers differ in the manner of resin transfer.
Fluidized Column Operations. Column contactors, when operated
with the feedstream in a downflow mode, are poorly suited to handle
fermentation slurries because of the excellent filtration characteristics of
packed resin beds. For such slurries it is preferable to use a fluidized bed of
resin such as is shown in Fig. 33.[921 While most of the commercial
applications discussed in the literature pertain to slurries of uranium tailings
and paper mill effluent, the equipment may be adapted for use in treating
fermentation broths.
The shape of the fluidized bed is important in controlling the position
of the resin in the column. The effluent from the column should pass over a
vibrating screen, e.g., as SWECO, to retain entrained resin, but allow
mycellia to pass through.
The Ashai contactor, shown in Fig. 34,Lg11 uses conventional pressure
vessels as the resin column. These vessels have a resin support grid at the base
and a resin screen at the top. The feedstream is fed in up-flow through the
packed bed. Periodically the liquid contents of the column are allowed to
drain rapidly which causes the resin to flow from the bottom of the bed to a
similar vessel for regeneration. At the same time, fresh resin is added to the
top ofthe active column from a resin feed hopper. This hopper contains a ball
valve which passes the resin in during downflow operation and seals itself
during the up-flow portion of the adsorption cycle.
The Cloete-Street ion exchange equipment is amultistage fluidized bed
containing perforated distributor plates (Fig. 35).fg3] The hole size in the
plates is greater than the maximum resin particle. The countercurrent
movement of resin occurs due to the controlled cycling of the feedstream.
With each cycle, the entire amount of resin in one chamber is transferred to
the next chamber. Equipment with 4.5 m diameter columns and eight stages
for a total height of about 20 m are in commercial operation.
452 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
The USBM equipment, shown in Fig. 36,[941 is very similar to the
Cloete-Street system. The differences are in the plate design, the method of
transferring solids and in the method of removing the resin. This system and
the Cloete-Street system are able to handle slurry feeds with up to 15% by
weight solids.
The advantage of these fluidized bed columns is the relatively low
capital cost, low operating cost, small space requirement, simple instrumen-
tation and control compactability with conventional solvent extraction
Only those systems that can accommodate slurries with
suspended solids are commercially feasible for biotechnology and fermenta-
tion operations. Otherwise, the small volume of fermentation feedstreams
which need to be processed are not the scale of operations necessary to make
continuous ion exchange processes cost effective.
+ RESIN SUPPLY
.RESIN ADDITION
PROTECTIVE UYER
EFFLUENT OUTLET
LOADED LAYER
CONE
REMOVAL DEVICE
FOR RESIN
FEEDSTREAM INLET
f
Figure 33. Fluid bed ion exchange
Ion Exchange 453
h
s:
m
454 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
vi
B
k
3
s
G
b
tA
al
0
b
0
Ion Exchange 455
2 0'
soluloon
I I I /o 0 0 0 o\
1
00000
00000
f thick
PV
8
1
Plot0
Oisiribution
Distribution @loto
Figure 36. Schematic diagram of the USBM ion exchange
The principal disadvantage of fluidized bed columns is the mixing of
resin in various stages of utilization. This mixing means that breakthrough
occurs sooner and the degree of resin capacity utilization is much lower than
in packed bedcolumns. By placing perforated plates in acolumn (Fig. 37),rg5]
the resin beads only mix within a restricted area allowing more complete
utilization of the ion exchange resin's capacity.
456 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
0 ION EXCHANGE
BEAD
FINE SOLID
PARTICLE IN
FEEDSTREAM
Figure 37. The perforated plates in this fluidized bed column allow fine solid particles to
flow through the column while the ion exchange beds are, for the most part, confined to
individual compartments. Lgs1
Smaller continuous fluid bed systems, like the one shown in Fig. 38,1g61
have been developed which operate with a high concentration of ion exchange
resin and suspended solids. These units are 80% smaller than the conven-
tional resin-in-pulp plants of the type which are used in the treatment of
uranium ore slurries.[97] The pilot plant unit, which would probably be the
size needed for processing commercial fermentation broths, had dimensions
percontactchamberof0.82 m x 0.82mwithafluidbedheightof0.82mand
an additional 0.16 m for free board. The unit has been successfully operated
with 25 to 50% resin and up to 45% suspended solids.
Ion Exchange 457
Figure 38. Pilot plant for resin-in-pulp contactor
The effect of the degree of regeneration of the resin on the degree of
extraction ofa solute was measured by Slaterr9*I using a seven stage unit. The
results are shown in Fig. 39 for the extraction of uranium using a fluidized
bed slurry of a strong base resin in a 10% uranium ore leach slurry.
However, the fluidized bed column, even with perforated plates
separating it into as many as 25 compartments, may not be appropriate for
applications in which there are strict requirements (<1% of influent concen-
tration) on the effluent. For readily exchangeable ions, the optimum
utilization of this technique occurs when an actual effluent concentration of
5% ofthe influent is the breakthrough point. At such times, the ion exchange
resin capacity would be 70% utilized.[g5] Should it be acceptable that the
breakthrough point occur when the average effluent reaches a concentration
of 10% of the influent, the utilization of the ion exchange capacity is 90%. If
the ions are not readily exchangeable (low selectivity), the resin utilization
would be significantly less and fluidized bed operations should not be used.
458 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
'0)
- 99.9%
ExtmaiIm
QPM
0.020
0.015
0.00
0.005
I' 1
I234567
FEED STASE
Figure 39. Effect of residual feedstream ions on the resin on the efficiency of a staged
system. QPQ) is the concentration of the feedstream ions on the resin at the end of the
cycle; QPW) is the concentration of the feedstream ions on the resin at the beginning of
the cycle; q is the cycle time; x is the fraction of the resin bed volume in a stage which is
removed per cycle.[98]
6.4 ElutiodRegeneration
Elution of proteins from ion exchangers can be achieve with buffers
containing salts such as sodium chloride or ammonium acetate or by an
appropriate pH change, provided that the pH change does not result in
denaturation of the eluted protein.[99] The elution may be performed with a
series of stepped changes or with a continuous gradient change in the eluting
power of the eluant, With such changes, it is possible to separate different
proteins or protein fractions from each other based on their different affinities
for the ion exchange resin.
Ion Exchange 459
Elution of compounds such as penicillin with either acids or bases will
render the penicillin inactive. Although aqueous salt solutions can elute
penicillin without inactivating it, the large volumes required make this option
impractical. Wolf and co-workers[loO] developed an elution solvent combi-
nation of organic solvent, water and salt that can elute the penicillin with a
minimum volume and no inactivation. The mixture of organic solvent and salt
is chosen so that the salt is soluble in the resulting organic solvent-water
mixture and the organic substance eluted from the resin is soluble in the
elution mixture. Table 19 shows the elution volume required to recover the
indicated amount of antibiotic when the elution solvent is 70% methanol and
5% or 7.5% ammonium chloride in water.
Table 19. Amount of Antibiotic Recovered with Increasing Volumes of
Methanol in Aqueous Ammonium Chloride[100]
Antibiotic Eluant Total Volume Amount of
of Eluant Antibiotic Recovered
(Bed Volumes) (%)
Dihydronovobiocin 70% MeOH 1 50.0
Novobiocin
Penicillin
with5%NH4Cl 2
3
4
70% MeOH 3.5
with 5% NH4CI
70% MeOH 0.5
with 7.5% m4cl 1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
83.3
93.3
96.6
99.8
11.0
69.0
94.0
97.1
99.7
460 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
Regeneration alone is not sufficient to prevent fouling or microbial
growth on ion exchange resins. If the resin is left standing in the regenerant
during nonoperating times, it is possible to suppress the microbial growth.[1o1]
Theregenerant inthis instancewas 10or20%NaC1. Whentheinitialmicrobe
count was 10 per milliliter, at the end of three weeks in 20% NaCI, the count
had risen tojust 800/ml compared to 200,00O/ml forthe resin stored in water.
When an alternate regenerant is used (NaOH or HCI), it is preferable to
change the storage medium to 20% NaCl since extended time in an acid or
base media can adversely affect the resin matrix.
Since most fluids contain some suspended matter, it is necessary to
backwash the resin in the fixed bed column on a regular basis to remove any
accumulation of these substances. To carry out a backwashing operation, a
flow of water is introduced at the base of the column. The flow is increased
to a specific rate to classifl the resin hydraulically and remove the collection
of suspended matter. Figures 40 and 4 1 show the types of flow rate which
provide certain degrees of expansion of cation and anion resins, respectively.
Since the anion resins are significantly less dense than the cation resin shown,
it would be necessary to have different amounts offreeboard above the normal
resin bed height so that backwashing may be accomplished with only a
negligible loss of ion exchange resin. Typically, an anion resin bed may be
expanded by 100% during backwashing, while a cation resin bed will only be
expanded by 50%.
It is also necessary that the water used for the backwashing be degassed
prior to use. Otherwise, resin particles will attach themselves to gas bubbles
and be carried out of the top of the column to give an unacceptable increase
in resin losses.
When treating fermentation broth filtrates, frequent backwashing of
the resin bed is necessary to prevent accumulation of suspended matter. In
such cases, the column height should be designed of such a size that the bed
is regenerated at least every 10 hours. Shorter columns have been designed
to be regenerated at least every hour.[lo21 These shorter beds canthen use finer
resins and achieve a high level of efficiency with lower capital costs. This
may be taken to the point of using very fine resins, as with the Powdex@
system[103] which discards the powdered resin after a single use.
After a bed is backwashed, unless it is air-mixed as the level of water
is drained down to the surface, the beads or particles classify according to
size. The fine beads end up on top and the large beads on the bottom of the
column. In cocurrent operations, the regenerant first contacts the top of the
bed. The fast kinetics ofthe fine particles gives a high regeneration efficiency.
However, the large beads on the bottom will regenerate more slowly and may
Ion Exchange 461
end up only partially regenerated. Thus, when the feedstream is next passed
through the resin bed, leakage of undesirable ions may occur from the large
beads in the bottom of the column. This may be overcome by using a
countercurrent flow arrangement described earlier or by using an air-mixing
system during the post-backwash
0 16.32 32.64 48.96
BACKWASH FLOW RATE (HL/HIN /cn2)
Figure 40. Backwash expansion characteristics of a macroporous strong acid cation resin,
Dowex 88.
462 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
TO DETERMINE FLOW RATE
AT TERERATlRE T:
/
0
I I
FT
FZ5(1 - 0.044(7 - 2.5))
0 4,08 8.16 U,24 16.32
BACWASH FLOW RATE (ML/MlN/CH2)
Figure 41. Backwash expansion characteristics ofregenerated and exhaustedmacroporous
weak base anion resin, Dowex 66.
7.0 INDUSTRIAL CHROMATOGRAPHIC OPERATIONS
Packed bed, process scale high performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC) equipment was first introduced by Millipore and Elf Aquitaine in
1982.[1051 Since then, several companies, listed in Table 20, have enteredthe
large scale HPLC market. The systems use packed beds at moderate
pressures (30-140 bar). While there are substantial time-savings in using
these systems compared to other purification techniques, the short life of the
packing material and its high cost continue to restrict this technique to
applications that warrant the $ 1OOkg separation cost.
Ion Exchange 463
Table 20. Manufacturers of Process Scale HPLC Equipment
Amicon Danvers, MA
Dorr-Oliver Stamford, CT
Elf Aquitaine (Varex in U.S.) Rockviile, MD
Millipore Corporation Bedford, MA
Pharmacia Piscataway, NJ
Separations Technology Wakefield, RI
YMC
Morris Plains, NJ
The Waters Kiloprep Chromatography pilot plant is one example ofthe
successful extension of an analytical chromatography process to the process
scale. The ability to control the various operation parameters to scaleup
directly from the laboratory to the pilot plant and beyond to commercial
production has been Figure 42 illustrates how the perfor-
mance of this larger system can be predicted from the data generated in an
equivalent laboratory apparatus.
Voser and Walli~er['~I have described the approaches different compa-
nies have devised sothat fine and soft adsorbents may be utilized in large scale
chromatography operations. The scaling-up has usually been achieved by
increasing the column diameter and using stack columns. The problem then
becomes one of achieving uniform distribution of the feed solution over the
entire resin bed surface, particularly when gradient elution is involved.
In the Pharmacia approach, the fluid input is split and distributed
through six ports on the column end plates.['07] At the entrance of each
stream, an anti-jetting device spread the liquid over a fine mesh net. A coarse
net between the net and the end plate acts as both a support and a spacer. For
the soft Sephadex gels G-50 to G-200, the maximum feasible bed height is 15
cm. Scaleup operations have used as many as six such squat columns in
series.["'] The drawbacks of this approach are the cumbersome adsorbent
in the column.
In AmiconNright columns, the flow is distributed through a carefully
designed system of radial ribs cut out ofthe end plate. There is a single central
port with a suitable anti-jetting device to reduce and divert the high velocity
of the entering stream. The adsorbent bed is covered with a sintered plate.
Sintered plates are claimed to be more efficient than most nets to achieve an
464 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
(r
0
Ion Exchange 465
even distribution. The larger the pore size of the sintered plate, however, the
less efficient the system. Drawbacks of sintered plates are their tendency to
adsorb substances on their very large surfaces and the possibility of fouling.
These columns may also be stacked.
Whatman has developed a column with a new flow distribution system
specifically designed for Whatman’s cellulosic ion exchange resins. The bed
height is 18 cm. The diameter of the first commercial unit was 40 cm and
contained 25 liters of adsorbent. The resin bed is covered with a perforated
plate with ahigh free surface. The slightly conical head plate covers an empty
space and has a steep cone in the middle. The total empty head space is about
5% of the bed volume. The feed solution enters the steep cone tangentially
in its upper part. The resulting rotary movement efficiently mixes the
supernatant liquid and allows gradient elution. It is claimed that filling and
equilibration take only one hour.
AMF has developed an unconventional new approach with its ZETA-
PREP cartridge. The cartridges consist of concentric polymer screens which
bear the ionic groups and are supported by cellulosic sheets. The flow is
radial from the outer rim toward a perforated central pipe. The available
nominal cartridge lengths are from 3 cm to 72 cm with a constant diameter
of about 7 cm throughout. Scaling-up with this approach is quite straight-
forward. Single cartridges, each mounted in a housing, can be combined to
a multi-cartridge system. For such a system, flow rates up to 12 liter/min and
bovine serum albumin capacities of 1400 g are claimed. The present ion
exchange functionalities available are DEAE, QAE and SP.
The step-wise transition from high pressure liquid chromatography to
medium pressure chromatography, such as described for the preparation of
pectic illustrate the progression toward large scale industrial
application of the techniques developed in analytical laboratories. The
pressure in these medium pressure chromatography applications is only 6 bar
instead of the 100 to 150 bar associated with HPLC. The lower pressure
results in longer processing times (about one hour) compared to the 5 to 20
minutes required for an analytical determination with HPLC.
Studies, such as the one by Frolik and coworkers,[llO] which examine
the effect and optimization of variables in HPLC of proteins, can be expected
to contribute tothe implementation ofthis type ofprotein resolution technique
into future commercial biotechnology processes.
The first chromatographic systems capable of handling more than 100
kg/day were merely scaled up versions of laboratory chromatography.[111][112]
Even with some of these systems it was necessary to recycle a portion of the
overlap region to have an economical process. A typical example of such a
466 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
system would be the Techni-Sweet System of Techni~hem["~I used for the
separation of fructose from glucose. The unique distributors and recycle
system are designed to maximize the ratio of sugar volume feed solution per
unit volume of resin per cycle while at the same time minimizing the ratio of
volume of water required per unit volume of resin per cycle.
The flow through the Technichem system is 0.56 m3/(hr-m3) with a
column height of 3.05 m. The feed solution contains 45% dissolved solids,
and a feed volume equal to 22% of the volume of the resin is added to the
column each cycle. The rinse water added per cycle is equal to 36% of the
volume ofthe resin. This is much less rinse water than the 60% volume that
was required by the earlier systems.
This technique is known as the stationaryport technique since the feed
solution and the desorbent solution are always added at the same port and the
product streams and the recycle stream are always removed from another
port. Technichem and Finn Sugar manufacture chromatography systems
which utilize the stationary port technique.
One of the earlier attempts['l4I at industrial chromatography used an
adaptation ofthe Higgins contactor for the ion exclusion purification of sugar
juices. The physical movement of the low cross-linked resin caused attrition
as it was moved around the contactor. It was also difficult to maintain the
precise control needed on flow rates because ofthe pressure drop changes and
volume changes of the resin as it cycled from the mostly water zone to the
mostly sugar solution zone.
An alternate approach[' 151 utilizes movingport orpseudo-moving bed
techniques. With these techniques, the positions on the column where the feed
solution is added and where the product streams are removed are periodically
moved to simulate the countercurrent movement ofthe adsorbent material. At
any given time the resin column can be segmented into four zones (Fig. 43).
Zone 1 is called the adsorption zone and is located between the point where
the feed solution is added and the point where the fast or less strongly adsorbed
component is removed. In this zone the slow or more strongly adsorbed
component is completely adsorbed onto the ion exchange resin. The fast
component may also be adsorbed, but to a much smaller extent. The second
zone, Zone 2, is the purification zone and is located between the point where
the fast component is removed and the point where the desorbent solution is
added. Zone 3 is called the desorbent zone and is between the point where the
desorbent is added and the point where the slow component is removed. In
this zone the slow component is removed from the resin and exits the column.
The final zone, Zone 4, is called the buffer zone and is located between the
Ion Exchange 467
point where the slow component is removed and the point where the feed
solution is added. There is a circulating pump which unites the different zones
into a continuous cycle.
Figure 43. Moving port chromatographic column with four zones for continuous chromato-
graphic separation.[115]
Different sections of the column serve as a specific zone during the
cycle operation. Unlike the stationary port technique, the liquid flow is not
uniform throughout the column. Because of the variations in the additions
and withdrawals of the different fluid streams, the liquid flow rate in each of
the zones will be different.
With such a system, one must slowly develop the chromatographic
distribution pattern through the different zones. It may take from 8 to 36
hours for the pattern to be established. Other practical considerations are that
the recirculation system must represent a small (< 10%) portion of a single
468 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
zone to prevent unacceptable back-mixing which would alter the established
chromatographic pattern.
The flow rate and the pressure drop per unit length of the chromato-
graphic column are much lower for the stationary port compared to the
moving port system. Also, the moving port system is much less capital
intensive. The moving port technique, however, is calculated to require only
one-third of the column volume and ion exchange volume and two-thirds of
the desorbent volume compared to the stationary port technique.
After the expiration of the UOP patent covering the rotary valve, there
have been several modifications to the moving port technique by Amalgam-
ated Sugar,[116] Illinois Water Treatment,["'] and Mitsubishi.[1181 Each
manufacturer has its own proprietary approach for the establishment and
control of the chromatographic pattern.
proposed a hybrid system which has some of the charac-
teristics of both elution chromatography and the pseudo-moving bed system.
During the feed pulse, the feed position was moved continuously up into the
column at a velocity that lies between the two solute velocities. The eluting
solvent was continuously fed into the bottom of the column. Elution
development with solvent was used when the feed pulse was over. This
method reduces irreversible mixing of solutes near the feed point. Wankat
and Ortiz[120] have used this system for gel permeation chromatography and
claim improved resolution, narrower bands and higher feed throughputs
compared to conventional systems. McGary and Wankat[121] have had
similar results applying it to preparative HPLC. This technique uses less
adsorbent and produces more concentrated products compared to normal
preparative chromatography, but more adsorbent and less concentrated
products than pseudo-moving bed systems. Wankat[122] has proposed that his
system will be of most value for intermediate size applications or when only
one product is desired.
The key items to identifjl when considering an industrial chromato-
graphic project are the capital for the equipment, yield and purity of the
product, the amount of dilution of the product and waste stream, the degree
of flexibility the computer controls allow, the expected life of the ion
exchange material and whether the equipment allows for periodic expansion
of the resin.
New techniques are continuing to be developed which can be expected
to be used in fiture specialized industrial applications. Multi-segmented
columns have been demonstrated for the preparative purification of
urokinase.[123] Begovich and ~oworkers['~~1['~~] have developed a technique
for continuous spiral cylinder purifications which allow separation of the
Ion Exchange 469
basis of electropotential in addition to the selective affinity of the adsorbent
resin for the components in solution. A schematic ofthis device is shown
in Fig. 44.
Ll)r ma
Figure 44. Schematic of the pressurized continuous annular chromat~graph.['*~I
Another new technology that offers promise for commercial biotech-
nology purifications is the use of parametric pumping with cyclic variations
of pH and electric field. This has been described by Hollein and cowork-
ers.[126] They worked with human hemoglobin and human serum albumin
protein mixtures on a CM-Sepharose cation exchanger. The extensive
equations they reported for parametric separations allow analysis of other
systems of two or more proteins which may be candidates for this type of
separation,
470 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook
Applications of ion exchange and column chromatography techniques
have been incorporated into the commercial purification scheme for fermen-
tation products, biomaterials and organic chemicals. While the majority of
these applications are on the small scale (less than 500 kg/month but greater
than 10 glmonth), several large industrial scale applications have arisen in the
last decade. The extraction of sugar from molasses, the separation ofglucose
from fructose, the separation of polyhydric alcohols, the separation of xylene
isomers and the separation of amino acids are carried out in industrial scale
operations preparing thousands of metric tons of purified material each year.
Two recent books [1271[1281 provide extensive examples of these applications.
Additional examples, mostly of laboratory studies, are available in books
specifically on the HPLC of peptides and protein~.['~~1['~~] LC-GC and
Chromatography are two periodicals with helpful operational suggestions.
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17.
Thompson, H. S., Roy, J.,Agr. Soc., Eng., 11:68 (1850)
Bersin, T., Natunvissenschaften, 33: 108 (1946)
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