Influence Of Oxygen Dissolved On The Biomass Grouth During Fermentation Process

Abstract

Batch processes suffer from the defect that at the commencement of each batch a sufficient number of cells of the organism must be grown to carry out the conversion of the sugar to citric acid. This part of the fermentation occupies valuable fermenter time. In order that the continuous process shall be economic, high concentrations of sugar must be employed and, in addition, this sugar must be substantially utilised necessitating the use of several fermenters in series, each exhausting the medium to a lower level. This complication tends to nullify the potential advantages of the continuous fermentation mode for the citric fermentation. Our measurements and results show that the decrease of oxygen level did not mean the cessation or slowdown of biomass but the citric acid formation slowdown.