Xanthan Gum Recovery from Palm Oil-Based Fermentation Broth by Hollow Fibre Microfiltration (MF) Membrane with Process Optimisation Using Taguchi Method

M. Sufian So’aib, M. Sabet, J. Krishnan and M. V. P. S. Veluri

Abstract
First stage Xanthan recovery (cell and oil separation) from palm oil-based fermentation broth was carried out by hollow fibre microfiltration (MF) using Taguchi method as design of experiment (DOE) to study the effect of four main parameters on Xanthan recovery; transmembrane pressure (TMP), crossflow velocity (CFV), ionic strength (IS) and temperature (T). From S/N ratio larger-the-better analysis, optimum conditions for Xanthan recovery were at level 2 of TMP, IS and T respectively and level 1 for CFV whereas the significance of factor found by ANOVA was in the following order: IS > TMP > T > CFV. Confirmation experiment based on optimum condition yield 64 % Xanthan recovery. Particle size was influenced by intramolecular and intermolecular interactions of Xanthan’s side chain under varying pH and cation concentration and affected the degree of Xanthan’s transmembrane transport (XTT). Interpretation of zeta potential (ZP) elucidated XTT mechanism driven by surface charge modification of membrane surface due to cation binding. The formation of oily cake layer hindered most XTT, whereas better XTT achieved for zero-oil broth filtration.

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Keywords
Microfiltration, xanthan’s transmembrane transport, Taguchi method