CPE624

Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering

TOPIC 2

Bio-reactors

SITI WAHIDAH BINTI PUASA

PHONE NO: 03-55436327
011-32338927
Reference: The Eng. Of Chemical
Reactions ( Schmidt)
Credit to: Pn. Norhasyimi, Pn.
Sharmeela & Cik Faeqah

Biochemical reactions are characterized by the use of

enzymes or whole cells (micro-organisms) to carry out
specific conversions

Example:
Fermentation of fruit juices to make alcohol
Subsequent oxidation to vinegar
Living organisms are capable of
carrying out a wide range of
transformations which can often be
manipulated by controlling their
environment or by changing genetic
constitution. The primary interest of
organism is to replicate themselves
CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Major areas of biological sciences that are significance to the

process engineer.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Applications
of
biological
processes
will
considering
systematics, genetics, biochemistry and physiology.

Outline of a biological process:

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Important aspects to reactors:

Nature and processing of raw materials
Choice and manipulation of the catalysts
Control of reaction process from which the product
must be recovered.

Bioprocesses are autocatalytic reactions. Cells is a group of

proteins that have catalytic properties (Enzymes)
Enzymes, similar to inorganic catalyst in some ways and
very powerful catalysts that capable to enhance the overall
rate of reactions.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Enzymes are water-soluble but are frequently bound to

membranes within the cells or retained in the microbe by
the cell walls.
Enzymes usually retain
isolated from the cell

their

catalytic

activity

when

Bioreactors as an alternatives to conventional chemical

reactors, e.g in pharmaceutical industry, micro-organism
& enzymes can be used to produce specific streo-isomers
selectivity.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Advantages
high selectivity
Feasible for multistage separation in purification
Reduced potential pollution
Increased energy recovery and reduced greenhouse
emissions
Lower long-term maintenance cost

Disadvantages
Product may formed in dilute aqueous solution
Low rates
Rheological properties that difficult to handle
Low interfacial tensions difficulties in physical
separation of product

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Each
components
are
divided
by
bilayer
phospholipids membranes.
Transportation of reactants
& products to & from cells
produces
concentration
gradients
because
of
transport resistances within
& without the cell.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Organism must grow & reproduce itself using resources

from the surrounding environment
Living systems capture
& utilize energy from the
environment to produce highly ordered structures to give
rise to autocatalytic processes.

This allows the natural optimization of living processes for

the evolution of new biological information structures and
new life forms.
The complexity of the bacterial cell is thus a match for
any chemical plant in the power and sophistication of its
chemistry.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

The basic of life lies in chemistry creates a variety of

novel solutions to a set of problem associated with life.
These includes:
The acquisition of food provide energy and nutrients
that make up the structure of the cell
Conversion of the food into the structure of the living
system
Retention of information chemical structures may
be reproduced when required
Introduction of variation in the biological information
- to encourage the adaptation of the organisms to the
environment

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

6 major
elements,
make up 90%
of weight

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Most of the elemental composition of cells is found in

proteins, nucleic acid and lipids.
Water is the major component of cells with 8090% of
the total weight
Most of the protein present in the form of enzymes.
Nucleic acid are found in various forms of Ribonucleic
Acid (RNA) and Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
Polysaccharides and lipids are associated with wall &
membrane structures & also act as energy-storage
materials within the cell.
CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Nucleic acid in the form of DNA forms the stored

structural and regulatory material for organism.
Protein is formed mainly of polymerised amino-acids.
The primary structure is non-repetitive & require a
chemical template stored in DNA molecule for its
production.

Proteins have catalytic activity (enzymes) whilst other

proteins have roles in storage, trasportation, antibodies,
chemical messengers (hormones) & in structure.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Nucleotides are the basic monomers of nucleic acid. It is

made from heterocyclic nitrogen compounds, purines &
pyrimidines

Types of nucleic acid:

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) contain ribose with bases of
cytosine, adenine, guanine and a unique base uracil.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contain deoxyribone
with bases of cytosine, adenine, guanine and a unique
base thymidine.
The differences in the base structure affect the secondary
structures of these polymers.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Lipids major components of membrane.

Complex structure of fatty acids esterified with alcohols to
form glycerides
Sterols is also important lipid components
Hydophobic structure provide entry & exit ports from
the interior of cell

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Major structural components of the cell walls.

Cellulose is the most commom form.
Others hemicellulose (hexose & pentose), pectins and
chitin.
Also act as energy storage materials in living systems.
Glycogen & starch are the major carbohydrate stores in
animals & plants, respectively.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Derived from carbohydrates and polymeric materials.

Provide the cell with mechanical strength, provide rigid

structure againts which the membrane located.
The
variable
structure
will
change
according
to
environment and surface properties are determined by
the cell wall materials.
The wall is negatively charges & can act as an ion
exchanger.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Biological combustion

Oxygen transport
Photosynthesis
Genetic code

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

A ns S nA A n P P
Abiological species i.e organism or cells
Ssubstrate or food supply
Pmetabolic product
nA>1
nA=1

organism growth (reproduction)

metabolism

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Kinetics of Reproduction

A S 2A P

r kCACS

If excess nutrient CS CSO

r kCACSO
CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

In batch reactor

dC A
kC A CSO
dt

C A C Ao e

kCsot

exponential growth
Natural for any living system to reproduce
Desired exponential growth??
Undesired exponential growth???

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

If growth is limited by food supply, S and A

can be related by

C A C Ao
CSOCS

nA 1
nS

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Model for steady state population; birth and death

rB k BC A

k B kCSO

rD k DC A

What is the reaction rate model for population which

includes birth and death?

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Metabolism
A is not reproducing, therefore nA=1

A S A P

r kCACS

S P

CA is constant, C A C AO
CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

In batch reactor,

dCS
kC Ao CS
dt

CS CSoe
CSO CS CP

kC Ao t

Material balance

CP CSo (1 e

kC Ao t

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

Kinetics is the study of the rated of chemical reactions.

The rates of biological reactions are greatly increased by

enzyme catalysts.

Enzyme kinetics is based upon the elementary kinetics.

CPE624: ADVANCED CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING