MATERIAL AND ELEMENTAL

BALANCES FOR ENZYMES

Rendell C. Barcimo, RChE, MEE
Chemical Engineering Department
College of Engineering and Technology
University of St. La Salle
MATERIAL AND ELEMENTAL BALANCE
What would the respiration quotient be?


What fraction of substrate is consumed and how much substrate

is converted to biomass and end products? 


If the process is aerobic, how much O is required? 


2

What would the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) be? 


MATERIAL AND ELEMENTAL BALANCE

➤ All microorganisms require nutrients for propagation and to

produce metabolites as useful by-products

➤ C, H, N, S, P, Mg, Na, and K

➤ Trace metals and minerals: Fe, Cu, Zn, Co, Mn and Mo

ELEMENTAL BALANCE
Cell growth and metabolic activities are similarly described as a
simple chemical reaction.
ELEMENTAL BALANCE
ELEMENTAL BALANCE
ELEMENTAL BALANCE

A batch process is customary for producing antibiotics. Submerged culture is used to

propagate fungus with suitable carbohydrate resources. This assumption is based on
simplicity in calculations and the normal use of penicillin in the pharmaceutical industry.
Assume we are required to produce antibiotic, one kilomole of penicillin G (334 kg) per
batch. The general equation for the production of penicillin G and biomass is:

aC6H12O6 + bH2SO4 + cNH3 → dC16H18O4N2S + eCO2 + fH2O + gC4H7O3N

Yields of product and biomass are 20% and 50%, respectively (YP/S=0.2, YX/S=0.5).
Moles of penicillin G produced are based on a stoichiometric relation above. Solve for the
coefficients.
MATERIAL BALANCE

In - Out + Generation - Consumption = Accumulation

MATERIAL BALANCE

In a continuous wastewater treatment plant, 105 kg of cellulose and 103 kg of bacteria

enter into the digestion unit as feed stream on a daily basis, while 104 kg of cellulose
and 1.5 x104 kg of bacteria leave in the effluent. The rate of cellulose digestion is
7x104 kg day-1. The bacterial growth rate is 2x104 kg day-1. The cell death rate by cell
autolysis is 5x102 kg day-1. Do the material balance for cellulose and bacteria based
on the given data.
MATERIAL BALANCE

Humid air with O2 is prepared for a gluconic acid

fermentation. The humid air has been prepared by a
special humidification chamber where 1.5 l/h of liquid
water enters; at the same time dry air and 15 mol/min
dry O2 enters the chamber. The exiting gas stream
contains 1% (w/w) water. Determine the flow rate of dry
air needed.
MATERIAL BALANCE
A fermentation broth containing Streptomyces kanamyceticus cells
is filtered by a vacuum rotary filter. The feed rate is 120 kg h-1;
each kilogram of broth contains 60 g of cells. To improve filtration,
filter aids are added at a rate of 10 kg h-1. The concentration of
kanamycin in the broth is 0.05%. The filtrate is collected at a rate of
112 kg h-1. The concentration of kanamycin in the filtrate is
0.045%. The filter cake contains cells, and filter aid is continuously
removed from the filter cloth.

(a) What is the moisture content in the filter cake?


(b) If the concentration of kanamycin in the filter cake is the same
as in the filtrate, how much kanamycin is absorbed per kilogram of
filter aid?
MATERIAL BALANCE
Corn steep liquor contains 2.5% invert sugars and 50%
water. The rest of the feed is considered as residual
solids. Beet molasses containing 50% sucrose, 1% invert
sugar, 18% water and remainder solids are mixed with
corn steep liquor in a mixing tank. Water is added to
produce a diluted mixture with 2% invert sugar, 125 kg
corn steep liquor and 45 kg molasses, which is fed into
an enzymatic hydrolysis tank.
(a) How much water is required?

(b) What is the concentration of sucrose in the final
mixture?