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Enhancement of mass transfer characteristics and phenanthrene degradation in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor equipped with internal static mixers

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Abstract

Oxygen and substrate supply have always been considered physical constraints for the performance and operation of two-phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPB), widely used for the degradation of hydrophobic substrates. In this regard, the potential advantages of static mixers in upgrading the oxygen transfer and liquid-liquid dispersions in TPPB have been highlighted. In the present paper, the concomitant influence of static mixers on the gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient k L a and on substrate bioavailability was examined in TPPB. The static method based on conventional forms was developed to estimate the oxygen volumetric mass transfer coefficient. Over a broad range of liquid and air flow rates, the presence of static mixers was found to significantly enhance k L a relative to a mixer-free mode of operation. For identical conditions, static mixers improved the k L a threefold. In the presence of external aeration supply, the boost in the k L a was associated with an increase of 16% in the phenanthrene biodegradation rate due to bubble break up accomplished by the static mixers. On the other hand, static mixers were efficient in enhancing substrate bioavailability by improving the liquid-liquid interfacial area. This effect was reflected by a threefold increase in the degradation rate in the bioreactors with no external supply of air when equipped with static mixers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LEPMI, UMR 5631, INPG / CNRS / UJF, BP75, 38402, St Martin d’Hères cedex, France

    Abdelhay Arwa, Stéphane Baup, Nicolas Gondrexon & Jean-Pierre Magnin

  2. LCBM, Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, UMR 5249, CEA / CNRS, 17 avenue des Martyrs, 38054, cedex 9, Grenoble, France

    John Willison

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  1. Abdelhay Arwa
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  2. Stéphane Baup
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  3. Nicolas Gondrexon
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  4. Jean-Pierre Magnin
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  5. John Willison
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Correspondence to Abdelhay Arwa.

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Arwa, A., Baup, S., Gondrexon, N. et al. Enhancement of mass transfer characteristics and phenanthrene degradation in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor equipped with internal static mixers. Biotechnol Bioproc E 16, 413–418 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-010-0002-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-010-0002-6

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