Amino acids are the basic units that make up proteins. Currently, there are five production methods for amino acids: direct fermentation method, precursor addition fermentation method, enzymatic method, chemical synthesis method, and protein hydrolysis extraction method. The direct fermentation method and the precursor addition fermentation method are usually combined as the fermentation method. Most amino acids are produced using the fermentation method. The fermentation broth is an extremely complex multiphase system, containing microbial cells, metabolic products, unused culture media, etc. Sometimes, impurity amino acids have very similar chemical structures and physical and chemical properties to the target amino acids, which determines that the downstream processing of amino acid fermentation broth requires a series of engineering unit operations. 

The integrated membrane separation process system combining ceramic membranes and organic membranes has advantages over traditional processes, such as high separation accuracy, guaranteed filtrate quality, the ability to maintain high filtration throughput, high product yield, low wastewater volume, fewer cleaning frequencies, and no need to add additives. It can achieve desalination and pre-concentration of target products and has been successfully applied in biorefineries for products such as glutamic acid (sodium), lysine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, citric acid, caproic acid, vitamin C, etc.

Integrated membrane separation process:

Upstream Processing →preprocessing→Ceramic membrane microfiltration→ultrafiltration→ultrafiltration→reverse osmosis→reprocess

Advantages of amino acids in membrane separation technology:

1. High separation accuracy, clear and transparent filtrate, significantly reducing the load of subsequent purification processes;

2. Achieve high concentration of fermentation broth, increasing product yield;

3. No need for filter aids during the treatment process, no retention of effective components in the fermentation broth;

4. Realize clean production, reducing the consumption of acids, alkalis and water washing, and significantly improving the biodegradability of wastewater;

5. No phase change during system operation, low energy consumption, and reduced production costs;

6. Ceramic membranes have strong anti-pollution ability, good regeneration performance, and long service life;

7. Increase product yield while recovering bacteria from the fermentation broth, bringing more profit points and environmental benefits to the enterprise;

8. PLC-based upper computer control, simple and reliable operation, reducing labor intensity. 

Application products:

Amino acids: Lysine, glutamic acid, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, glycine, arginine, glutamine, theanine, proline, valine, isoleucine, etc.

Organic acids: Lactic acid, citric acid, caproic acid, succinic acid, etc.

Vitamins: Vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, etc. 

For many years, Wuhan Bona has been dedicated to the development of application processes for membrane separation technology. By integrating processes, membranes and equipment, it has accumulated rich experience in product purification and engineering-scale expansion. This not only solves manufacturing challenges but also improves product quality, and together with customers, it enhances the technical level of the industry.