Integrated BMED and functionalized adsorption for organic acid recovery
An innovative system combining Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BMED) with functionalized resins enables efficient recovery and purification of small organic acids from fermentation broths. This approach minimizes waste and energy use while achieving high purity.
Overview
This solution integrates Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BMED) with functionalized adsorption to efficiently recover and purify small organic acids, such as those ranging from C2 to C6, from dilute aqueous fermentation broths. The integration leverages BMED's ability to concentrate and recover organic acids with reduced energy consumption and minimal waste production while the use of tailored functionalized resins allows for the selective separation and purification of individual acids at high purities exceeding 95%.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BMED): Concentrates and recovers organic acids by converting their salts back into acid forms without external chemicals, significantly reducing waste and energy consumption.
- Functionalized Adsorption: Utilizes resins tailored to specific acids, facilitating selective separation and achieving purities greater than 95% for individual acids.
- Environmental Benefits: Minimizes waste generation and energy consumption compared to conventional methods.
Applications:
- Recovery of individual organic acids from industrial fermentation processes.
- Potential use in continuous fermentation systems for enhanced efficiency and scalability.
Technology readiness level
Currently at Technology Readiness Level 4, the system has been validated at the lab scale. Future work includes setting up a pilot-scale system to assess scalability and continuous operation potential, with a focus on optimizing conditions for maximum purity and yield, as well as monitoring energy and waste metrics against traditional methods.
About Lambton College
Lambton College is a career‑focused public college in Sarnia, Ontario, recognized for hands‑on, industry‑aligned applied research. Companies engage through three NSERC‑funded Technology Access Centres—the Lambton Manufacturing Innovation Centre, the Bio‑Industrial Process Research Centre, and the Digital Technology Lab—which provide contract R&D, prototyping, testing, and process optimization. Facilities include a BSL‑2 lab, a Natural Health Products lab, and the Canadian Extrusion Research Laboratory, with teams based on campus and at the adjacent Western Sarnia‑Lambton Research Park, enabling rapid validation and scale‑up alongside a major regional energy and chemical manufacturing cluster. Applied research is supported by funding from NSERC, Mitacs, the Ontario Centre of Innovation, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research Fund, and FedDev Ontario programs. A dedicated commercialization function offers IP strategy and licensing support, augmented by resources from Intellectual Property Ontario.
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