OPTIMIZATION OF SEPARATION FOR VISCOUS SUSPENSIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to methods and systems for optimization of dilution of a viscous starting material to isolate and/or concentrate the product of interest from the starting source material such that the process minimizes the volume of diluent and the total volume of the waste stream generated during the process as well as maximizing the yield of desired product. The system employs cross-flow filtration modules with sub-channels that are equidistant to the inlet and outlet of said modules and such modules are characterized by optimal channel height, optimal transmembrane pressure, etc., which are selected in order to achieve the best combination of product quality and production yield.

主权项

1. A method to isolate carbohydrates from a viscous plant material, said process comprising:
contacting the viscous plant material with a diluent in an amount sufficient to reduce the viscosity of the viscous plant material and form a continuous stream of diluted plant material, wherein the diluent is contained in a separated vessel from the viscous plant material; flowing the diluted plants material into a recirculation loop of a first cross-flow filter apparatus; diafiltering the diluted plant material with sufficient diafiltration buffer retained in a buffer reservoir so as to recover the desired yield of the carbohydrates by passing said carbohydrates into the first permeate fluid; flowing the first permeate fluid containing the carbohydrates to an end product vessel; flowing out the first retentate solution from the recirculating liquid of the first cross-flow filter into a second cross-flow filter unit, wherein the flow rate of the first retentate solution is at the same flow rate as the diluted plant material being fed into the recirculation loop of the first cross-flow filter apparatus; diafiltering the flow of retentate into the second cross-flow filter unit with sufficient diafiltration buffer so as to recover the desired yield of the carbohydrates by passing said carbohydrates into the second permeate fluid; flowing the second permeate fluid containing the target substance to the end product vessel; concentrating the first and second retentate fluid by flowing same to a third cross-flow filter apparatus communicatively connected with the second cross-flow filter unit, wherein the volume of the third retentate fluid is reduced to the approximate volume of the undiluted plant material or less thereby forming a waste stream for further use; recirculating the third permeate fluid back to the diluent vessel for reuse; concentrating the first and second permeate fluid by flowing same to a fourth cross-flow filter apparatus communicatively connected to the end product vessel wherein the carbohydrates are concentrated and diafiltration buffer is removed in fourth permeate stream and recirculated for reuse.