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New approaches in process intensification: towards combined PUrification-REaction MEMBRANE based processes

Internal reference number听20/25-108
Start date 01/10/2020, end date : 30/09/2025

PURE intends to bring membrane technology to the highest level of process intensification by gathering the fundamental knowledge of three experts to design an integrated continuous process where enzyme catalysis is combined with separation and purification within a unique membrane unit, a novel 鈥渃rystallizer membrane reactor鈥�.

As opposed to classical batch and multi-step processes, such an integrated approach would allow

1. maintaining the enzyme in the reactor,
2. intensifying the production of high added value chemicals and
3. recover a highly pure co-product. To that end, many fundamental aspects have to be mastered.

PURE sets out to :

• Couple the enzyme to the membrane. This will allow running the biocatalytic reaction in a continuous manner without losing the enzyme or without the need of a recovery step. Thus, the need for catalyst removal/replacement is no longer required.
• Shift the equilibrium by efficiently removing pyruvic acid by anti-solvent co-crystallization. A continuous feed of co-former will allow specifically targeting pyruvic acid through cocrystallization. The membrane will be used to control the anti-solvent addition.
• Develop tailor-made membrane materials and study their properties (e.g., roughness, porosity, enzyme coverage, hydrophobicity) as tools to master reactivity and crystallization conditions so as to optimize the full process.
• Exploit all the acquired knowledge to transfer this integrated technology into a continuous process. The aim is to show that the membrane PUrification-REaction work-flow can be used as a toolbox for other challenging reactions as well.

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