Submitted by: Submitted by Mounikakrishna
Views: 247
Words: 1466
Pages: 6
Category: Science and Technology
Date Submitted: 11/09/2012 05:16 AM
OPTIMIZATION STUDIES ON CITRIC ACID FERMENTATION PROCESS
A. Gowthami*, M. Mounika Krishna* and K. Anand Kishore
Department of Chemical Engineering
National Institute of Technology
Warangal-506004, A.P, India
gowthami.shadows@gmail.com
mounika.motaparthi@gmail.com
kola__nitw@yahoo.com
Abstract:
The present study reports the optimization of citri c acid fermentation process which is governed
by different physical and chemical operating process variables. Six variables were found to
influence citric acid fermentation process. Using Plackett Burman method, t hree variables were
identified as dominating variables. Determining optimum values of the variables from Univariate
search method is tedious. Hence, t he experiments to be conducted for t hree variables have been
designed by central composite design (CCD) which is one of the Response Surface methods
(RSM) and then the variables were optimized using RSM to minimize the risk involved in
Univariate search method.
Key words: Citric acid, Fermentation, Plackett Burman, Response Surface method,
Optimization.
Introduction:
Citric acid is an essential biochemical commodity. It is widely found in nature and exists as an
intermediate in the citric acid cycle produced commercially by submerged aerobic fermentation
from a wide range of carbon-containing raw materials such as molasses, Corn starch, Date syrup,
Sucrose etc. Present work uses sucrose as raw material as A. niger has got potent mycelium
bound invertase that is active at low pH and rapidly hydrolyzes sucrose [1]. Citric acid is widely
used in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other industries [2]. Citric acid
productivity can be increased by optimizing its fermentation variables: Initial sucrose
concentration, Initial pH, Stirrer speed, Fermentation time, Fermentation temperature, Oxygen
flow rate, Additives and Nutrients‟ concentratio n. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is
employed for optimizing the title variables...