Mixing,mass transfer,and scale-up of polysaccharide fermentations

Microbial polysaccharides are rapidly emerging as a new and important source of polymeric materials. These biopolymers have novel and unique properties and already have found a wide range of applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and other industries. In view of the impending importance of polysaccharides as an industrial commodity, there is renewed interest in the area of product and process development. This paper summarizes the state-of-the art in polysaccharide fermentations. An attempt is being made to review the following areas: rheological characteristics of polysaccharide solutions, mixing and power requirements of polysaccharides and other highly viscous non-Newtonian systems, oxygen mass transfer, and scale-up problems encountered in polysaccharide fermentations.