(395v) On The Use Of Ceramic Monoliths For IMAC Chromatography: Adsorption Kinetics and MASS Transfer Effects On The Separation Of BSA and Catalase

On the use of ceramic monoliths for IMAC chromatography: adsorption kinetics and mass transfer effects on the separation of BSA and Catalase.

Milena. A. Vega¹, Eva.M. Martín Del Valle^,1, Ramon L. Cerro² and   Miguel A. Galán¹

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Salamanca, 37008, Salamanca, Spain.

² Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville 37185, Alabama, USA.

The use of ceramic monoliths in affinity chromatography for laboratory applications is well established. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the use of activated monoliths in several adsorption/desorption cycles, to device strategies for the scale up of bio-separation processes and demonstrate the economics of using monolith columns in industrial bio-separation processes. A separation process designed for industrial use requires prior knowledge of column lifetime, a realistic model for adsorbent and adsorption kinetics, and the ability to predict the column performance after reuse. These are important consideration for the development of industrial separation processes, because the economics of industrial processes is based on the continued use of the same column for several adsorption/desorption cycles without a significant loss in adsorption capacity.

On the basis of experimental data obtained on laboratory separation of BSA and Catalase a mathematical model was developed to predict the efficiency of a chromatographic column on multiple adsorption cycles. The mathematical/computational model describes the dynamics of adsorption of protein on a negligible porosity adsorbent such as agorose-coated ceramic monoliths. Since pore diffusion can be safely neglected, the adsorption process can be modeled as an equilibrium stage taking place on a flat two-dimensional surface. This model has been used to predict adsorption/desorption equilibrium, adsorption/desorption kinetics and mass transfer rates from the bulk of the circulation fluid to the monolith walls.