Modeling and Experimental Validation of Continuous Biocatalytic Oxidation in Two Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors in Series

The rate of oxygen transfer from the gas phase to liquid is a critical process parameter for biocatalytic oxidations due poor water solubility molecular and low affinity many relevant enzymes, such as oxidases. In gas–liquid systems, mechanical mixing can be used increase interfacial area available mass thereby volumetric coefficient (kLa). As such, operation these reactions in continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) may allow better performance readily scalable way. Even so, achieving high substrate conversion single would require at pressure, improve oxygen, well enzyme concentration. An alternative more cost-effective means improving might operate series multiple CSTRs. oxidation glucose gluconic acid by oxidase, coupled with catalase, was modeled identical well-mixed reactors. It found that full an impractical number reactors atmospheric pressure. However, overall reaction could doubled simply using two CSTRs series. Subsequently, experiments were carried out validate this, results showed fact tripled. This likely resulted higher kLa second reactor, which potentially caused change media composition first reactor.