Figure 7.3 Schematic of MBR
operating in a total recirculation mode.
A representation of the composite
membrane characteristics is given on
the right.
Furthermore, they are very suitable for performing a continuous operation and in some
cases the process may be integrated with the downstream process in order to separate the
target product(s). However, this is not so easy, due to one of the most interesting
properties of reversed micelles: the interface flexibility. Indeed, the self-assembling
capacity of the surfactant makes the micellar systems very versatile due to their capacity
to change and adapt themselves to new circumstances. However, this advantage becomes
a drawback when the objective is to confine the reversed micellar system inside a reactor
that will be crossed by a feed stream with substrates to give rise to a permeate solution
with concentrated products of the biocatalysis. Under these conditions the surfactant
molecules suffer a rearrangement and cross the membrane in the form of small
Multiphase bioreactor design 210