I am using vegetable oil as a carbon source for the bacteria and supplying air in the fermenter. During the course of fermentation, it is causing heavy foaming in reactor which is not getting controlled by 30% silicone antifoam. So, what can be the alternative for this?
I previously was using silicone based Antifoam B from Sigma, but had a similar problem during our bacterial fermentations. We switched to using Antifoam 204 from Sigma or a Suppressor product from Hydrite and had much better results. The amount used was significantly decreased and the foam levels were much more stable.
I am afraid there is no simple answer. What is causing the foaming? Often that are proteins. Take a sample of the foam and analyse it.
Anti-foams are oil-like stuff (such as silicone oil), since the oil covers the bubbles, removing the surface-active molecules from the interface (and reducing mass transfer over the interface considerably). Some anti-foams use(d) small particles to pierce and break the film between the cells.
Because your system foams, while oil is present (in an aqueous system), it is of interest which component causes the stable films. The anti-foam to be used should counteract/remove/replace this component.
Puede ser usado aceite vegetal y un producto comercial llamado twin 80...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Molecular Cell Biology
- Culture Cells
- Cell Line