Applications of Anti-Fouling Membrane Filtration Technology to Increase L-Methionine Production Utilizing a Fermentation Process

This presentation will address how the integration of anti-fouling membrane filtration systems for liquid-solid separation can contribute to higher productivity in amino acid production, especially after fermentation. To be discussed will be data from a specific application of an anti-fouling membrane filtration system by CJ Bio, which in 2014 became the first in the world to use a fermentation process produce L-Methionine in large-scale industrial application.

In the amino acid production process, higher effectiveness in liquid-solid separation from fermentation effluent results in a higher purity product, simplified process train, and lower energy consumption. Conventional technology for streams with such high-solids loading include centrifugal separators and hollow fiber, filter press, and ceramic membrane filtration systems. Due to an innovative design employing rotating blades to generate vortex forces that help keep the membrane layer free of foulants, anti-fouling membrane filtration systems can facilitate higher productivity through higher concentration while lowering downtime lost to membrane fouling.

Though it is conventionally considered quite challenging to achieve concentrates even higher than the material rejected from other membranes, CJ was able to double its initial targeted volumetric concentration factor(VCF) goal with the use of an anti-fouling membrane separation technology. Currently in place at a large industrial production scale for CJ’s L-Methionine production process, integration of the new system is expected to generate additional revenue of at least $3M per year, while reflecting additional reduction of process water necessary for diafiltration and energy consumption for evaporation.