Magnetic Sorbent Basket for Whey Protein Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for separating lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase from milk media, especially fresh milk, face challenges in achieving high purity and recovery yields due to issues like denaturation, contamination, and blocking of separation units by fat globules, leading to inefficient and costly processes.
Innovation Solution
A basket-batch separation process using magnetically filterable sorbents with cation-exchange groups and inorganic metal compounds, allowing mechanical stirring and filtration, which enables efficient adsorption and elution of lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase without requiring pressure through columns or membranes, thus preventing fouling and allowing for higher yields and quality proteins before pasteurization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ion-exchange chromatography is used to separate lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase from fresh milk, then separation can be performed without pre-pasteurization, but fat globules block the separation units reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes fat globules from fresh milk before the ion-exchange chromatography separation process. This preliminary extraction eliminates the blocking effect of fat globules on the separation units, allowing the chromatography to proceed efficiently without pre-pasteurization of the milk
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs a preliminary action by removing fat globules from the milk before the main separation process. This preparatory step prevents potential problems during chromatography by eliminating substances that would otherwise block the separation units and reduce efficiency
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional column chromatography is used for protein separation, then separation can be achieved, but the process requires pressure through columns or membranes causing fouling and blocking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional column chromatography mechanical system with a magnetic particle-based suspension system. Instead of forcing milk through columns or membranes under pressure, magnetic particles are suspended in the milk and manipulated using magnetic fields, eliminating the need for pressure-driven flow and preventing fouling and blocking issues
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and manipulation method of the separation medium. Instead of using fixed columns with flowing milk, the system uses suspended magnetic particles that can be selectively manipulated by magnetic fields, fundamentally changing how the separation process is conducted and eliminating pressure-related fouling
3Productivity
If pre-pasteurization is performed before separation, then fat globules are reduced, but the process becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts fat globules from fresh milk through a simple removal process before separation, achieving the same effect as pre-pasteurization without requiring thermal processing. This extraction step eliminates fat-related interference while maintaining process simplicity and avoiding the complexity and cost of pasteurization equipment and procedures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method achieves high purity and recovery yields of lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase, simplifies the process by avoiding the need for pre-pasteurization and reduces the risk of separation unit blocking, making it a more efficient and cost-effective alternative for large-scale dairy industry applications.
Implementation Method 1
The sorbent is porous and magnetically filterable, made from polymer material functionalized by cation-exchange groups selected from -COO-
Implementation Method 2
the sorbent is porous and magnetically filterable
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The field of presented invention is a process of whey protein separation, especially separation of lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase, from milk medium, from fresh milk or whey in advance, using sorbents; the principle of the separation is that the sorbent is in contact with medium by stirring and kept in suspension in separated filtration area with special filtration mechanism as filtration basket, the sorbent is mechanically or magnetically filterable, made from polymer material with cation-exchange group and adsorbs whey proteins; the filtration basket is removed from the medium after the sorption, washed with water to remove unattached proteins and other unwanted parts and the attached proteins are eluted from the sorbent and processed in to the powder form. The further subject of the invention is an apparatus for whey protein separation containing storage tank (1) of milk medium with main mechanical stirrer (2) and drain (4); the principle of this apparatus is the circulation of the medium in the area of immersed filtration mechanism (3) keeping the sorbent in suspension, the mesh of this filtration mechanism is in the range from 1 µm to 1 cm depending on the size of used sorbent.