Xylitol Refinement System Using Ceramic and Nanofiltration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for refining xylitol fermentation broth result in high activated carbon usage and dark coloration, leading to increased production costs and reduced efficiency, which hinders subsequent processing steps.
Innovation Solution
A system and method incorporating a ceramic membrane filter, nanofiltration membrane filter, activated carbon filter, and ion exchange columns, along with specific processing steps, to reduce activated carbon usage and improve decolorization, including standing stratification, filtration, ion exchange, evaporation, crystallization, and drying, to produce high-purity xylitol crystals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If evaporation and concentration is used to concentrate hydrolyzate, then xylose concentration is increased, but sugar and protein undergo Maillard reaction causing color deepening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the concentration process into multiple stages: first concentrating hydrolyzate to obtain fermented liquid, then concentrating fermented liquid to obtain fermentation broth. This segmentation allows intermediate processing steps (filtration, decolorization) to be inserted between concentration stages, preventing Maillard reaction from occurring in a single prolonged high-temperature evaporation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary filtration and decolorization of hydrolyzate before fermentation, and preliminary filtration and decolorization of fermented liquid before second concentration. These preliminary actions remove impurities that would otherwise participate in Maillard reaction during subsequent concentration steps, preventing color deepening before it occurs.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If 20% activated carbon is used for decolorization, then color is removed and transmittance is improved, but production cost increases and spent activated carbon waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of activated carbon dosage from the conventional 20% to 3-5% of fermentation broth volume. This parameter change is made possible by the preliminary decolorization steps that remove most colored impurities before the activated carbon treatment, allowing much less activated carbon to achieve the same final decolorization effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary decolorization using filtration and activated carbon treatment on the fermented liquid before second concentration. This preliminary decolorization removes the bulk of colored impurities, so that only a small amount of activated carbon (3-5%) is needed in the final decolorization step to achieve >90% color removal, compared to using 20% activated carbon in a single step.
3Productivity
If low pH is used in fermentation, then fermentation efficiency is maintained, but electrical conductivity is high increasing load on ion exchange processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary decolorization and filtration of the fermented liquid before second concentration and final decolorization. These preliminary actions remove impurities that would otherwise contribute to electrical conductivity, reducing the load on subsequent ion exchange processing even though the fermentation is conducted at low pH for efficiency.
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
The method achieves over 90% decolorization, reduces electrical conductivity, and decreases the load on subsequent ion exchange processes, resulting in a high-purity xylitol crystal product that meets national standards with a regular and smooth surface.
Implementation Method 1
a filtration processing is performed on the supernatant fermentation broth through a ceramic membrane filter to obtain ceramic membrane discharge liquid excluding bacteria and large particle impurities
Implementation Method 2
the ceramic membrane discharge liquid is conveyed to a nanofiltration membrane filter for a nanofiltration membrane filtration processing to retain impurity molecules with a molecular weight greater than 400Da
Implementation Method 3
an activated carbon filtration processing is performed on the nanofiltration liquid by using activated carbons
Implementation Method 4
passing through a cation exchange column and an anion exchange column in sequence for an ion exchange processing to obtain xylitol ion exchange liquid
Implementation Method 5
an evaporation and concentration processing is performed on the xylitol ion exchange liquid
Implementation Method 6
a cooling and crystallization processing is performed to obtain xylitol massecuite
Implementation Method 7
a centrifugation processing is performed on the xylitol massecuite to obtain a crystal xylitol and mother liquor
Implementation Method 8
a drying processing is performed on the crystal xylitol to obtain a refined xylitol crystal product
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for a refinement processing of a xylitol fermentation broth, the system includes a fermentation tank, a post-fermentation tank, a ceramic membrane filter, a nanofiltration membrane filter, an activated carbon filter, ion exchange columns, an evaporation tank, a crystallization tank, a centrifuge, and a dryer, which are connected by pipelines. The post-fermentation tank is configured to store the xylitol fermentation broth obtained from the fermentation tank and obtain sediments and supernatant fermentation broth through a standing stratification processing. The ceramic membrane filter, the nanofiltration membrane filter, the activated carbon filter, and the ion exchange columns are configured to perform a filtration and impurity removal processing successively on the supernatant fermentation broth to obtain xylitol ion exchange liquid. The evaporation tank and the crystallization tank are configured to perform an evaporation and crystallization processing on the xylitol ion exchange liquid to obtain xylitol massecuite. The centrifuge is configured to perform a separation processing on the xylitol massecuite to obtain a crystal xylitol and mother liquor respectively. The dryer is configured to perform a drying processing on the crystal xylitol to obtain a refined xylitol crystal product. The present disclosure also discloses a method implemented on the system. The present disclosure significantly reduces an amount of activated carbons, increases a pH value of liquid, and significantly reduces an electrical conductivity and a load of a subsequent ion exchange processing.