Self-Cleaning Enzymatic Ultrafiltration Membranes

Even though enzymatic conversion is not too effective, it is possible to prepare semipermeable membranes whose ultrafiltration yields are higher than those of passive membranes.74 75 Ultrafiltration experiments of cheese whey through cellulosic membranes to which papain was covalently bound, show that flux decay curves of enzymatic membranes are even less sensitive to pH changes.74 

Increasing interest is developing in continuous fermentation processes where microporous membranes are used to separate the fermentation broth from the product stream, thus retaining viable cells in the fermentor. 

In 1970, Porter and Michaels84 first suggested the use of membranes to enhance fermentor productivity traditional fermentors could in fact be coupled to a membrane separation unit in a configuration called a membrane fermentor where flux through the membrane was pressure driven. Since then a number 

---