Kinetics of ion exchange process for separation of glutamic acid

Kinetics of the separation of L-glutamic acid (GLU) by ion exchange has been studied with strongly acidic H⁺-type cation exchange resin Amberlite IR-122. Since glutamic acid is a trivalent ampholyte and dissociates according to three equilibrium reactions, separation of G⁺ ions by a cation exchange process is accompanied by the dominant reversible reaction, i.e. G⁺+H⁺ ? G⁰. Accompanying reversible reaction has an effect on the ion exchange rate, and decreases the performance of the process comparing with the ideal case that the exchanging ions retain their identity. The analysis was performed first with the ion exchange column, DIC (L/D=0.52); and then with the ion exchange column, IC (L/D=10.9). The data were collected with model glutamic acid solutions for both DIC and IC columns/reactors. IC experimental results were then compared with that of DIC and the effect of scale up on ion exchange process was investigated. The experimental results have provided an adequate basis for the design calculations, and the design parameters were determined. Rate coefficients for the liquid phase mass transfer controlled cation exchange process were calculated and interrelated with a plot of j _Mfactor versus Reynolds number.     

Operating parameters for glutamic acid crystallization in displacement ion exchange chromatography

Glutamic acid can be crystallized inside cation exchange column when displacer NaOH concentration is high enough to concentrate displaced glutamic acid beyond its solubility limit. Resulting crystal layer of glutamic acid was moved with liquid phase through the column, and thus could be eluted from the column and recovered in fraction collector. For the purpose of enhancing crystal recovery, effects of operating parameters on the crystal formation were investigated. The increase in the degree of crosslinking of resin favored crystal recovery because of its low degree of swelling. Higher concentration of displacer NaOH was advantageous. If NaOH concentration is too high, however, crystal recovery was lowered due to the solubility-enhancing effects of high pH and ionic strength. The decrease of mobile phase flow rate enhanced crystal recovery because enough time to attain local equilibrium could be provided, but film diffusion would control the overall crystal formation with extremely low flow rate. Lower temperature reduced solubility of glutamic acid and thus favored crystal formation unless the rate of ion exchange was severely reduced. The ion exchange operated by displacement mode coupled with crystallization was advantageous in reducing the burden of further purification steps and in preventing purity-loss resulted from overlapping between adjacent bands.