Enhancement of oxygen transfer in bioprocesses by the use of an organic phase: effect of silicone oil on volumetric mass transfer coefficient of oxygen (kLa)

• Autores: E. Dumont, Y. Andrès, P. Le Cloirec
• Localización: Biotechniques for air pollution control: proceedings of the international congress Biotechniques for Air Pollution Control : A Coruña, Spain, October 5-7, 2005 / Christian Kennes (dir. congr.), María C. Veiga (dir. congr.), 2005, ISBN 84-9749-163-7, págs. 163-170
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The absorption of oxygen in water-silicone oil emulsions was studied in laboratory-scale bubble reactors at constant gas flow rate for the whole range of emulsion compositions (0-10% v/v). The volumetric mass transfer coefficients to the emulsions were experimentally measured using a dynamic absorption method. It was assumed that the gas phase contacts preferentially the water phase. It was found that addition of silicone oil hinders oxygen mass transfer compared to air-water system. Decreases of kLa up to 25% have been noted. Such decreases of the oxygen mass transfer coefficient which imply longer aeration times to transfer oxygen could represent a limiting step for biotechnological processes strongly depending on oxygen concentration. Nevertheless, as the large affinity of silicone oil for oxygen makes possible to increase the amounts of oxygen to be transferred from the gas phase, it appears that addition of more than 5% silicone oil should be beneficial to increase the oxygen transfer rate.