Investigation of Membrane Selectivity for the Demineralization and Purification of High Value Fermentation Products

Electrodialysis with ion exchange membranes is finding novel and broader applications. It represents one of the most versatile separation methods with a great potential of application in the dairy industry, desalination of salt water, and the demineralization of whey, sugars, and organic acids. Electrodialysis can also be used to separate fermentation products, which are used in the food, cosmetic, and perfume industries. However, fermentation broths contain strong metal contaminants and metabolic products that need to be removed during product purification. This study focused on the purification and demineralization of high value fermentation broth products through electrodialysis with ion exchange membranes. Membrane selectivity was studied in order to selectively remove ions in a multi component solution. It was determined that the separation coeficients for butyrate over acetate for Ameridia PC SA-ED, Ameridia A0352, and Fumasep FAS membranes were 0.37, 0.61, and 0.68 with current efficiencies at  79% , 91%, and 50% respectiviely. From this research, we have determined that it is viable to selectively separate and purify fermentation broths through electrodialysis.