Abstract

SILVA, Eduardo Alberto Borges da; SOUZA, Antônio Augusto Ulson de; RODRIGUES, Alírio Egídio  and  SOUZA, Selene Maria Arruda Guelli Ulson de. Glucose isomerization in simulated moving bed reactor by Glucose isomerase. Braz. arch. biol. technol. [online]. 2006, vol.49, n.3, pp. 491-502. ISSN 1516-8913.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-89132006000400018.

Studies were carried out on the production of high-fructose syrup by Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technology. A mathematical model and numerical methodology were used to predict the behavior and performance of the simulated moving bed reactors and to verify some important aspects for application of this technology in the isomerization process. The developed algorithm used the strategy that considered equivalences between simulated moving bed reactors and true moving bed reactors. The kinetic parameters of the enzymatic reaction were obtained experimentally using discontinuous reactors by the Lineweaver-Burk technique. Mass transfer effects in the reaction conversion using the immobilized enzyme glucose isomerase were investigated. In the SMB reactive system, the operational variable flow rate of feed stream was evaluated to determine its influence on system performance. Results showed that there were some flow rate values at which greater purities could be obtained.

Keywords : Simulated moving bed reactor; Glucose isomerization; enzymatic kinetics; Mass transfer; Mathematical model; Dynamic simulation.