Concentration of Gibberellins (Pharmaceutical)
Background
Gibberellins (GA3) are the plant hormones that can be used to stimulate plant growth by influencing various developmental processes such as stem elongation, germination, and dormancy. The application of these hormones has led to significant increases in the yields of rice, wheat, corn, vegetable, and fruit harvests. An efficient and reliable method for concentrating gibberellins such as nanofiltration, is vital for pharmaceutical companies manufacturing these hormones.
Feed Solution, Membrane, Operating Conditions
| Feed Solution | |
| Material | Gibberellins, GA3 (C19H22O6) |
| Molecular Weight (Da) | 346.37 |
| Manufacturer | Jiangsu Fengyuan Bioengineering Co.,Ltd. |
| Conductivity | 4,000 |
| Membrane | |
| Element | NFX-3-8040HF |
| Spacer size (mil) | 46 |
| Number of Elements | 20 |
| Surface area per element (sq. ft) | 295 |
| Operating Conditions | |
| Element Inlet Pressure (PSI) | 174-181 |
| Pressure Drop per Element (PSI) | 3-5 |
| Temperature (°C) | 30-32 |
| pH | 5.4-5.8 |
Pilot Unit Used During The StudyTest Results & Conclusions
| Results | |
| Experiment Duration (min) | 200 |
| Overall rejection | 99% |
| Concentrate Volume (Gal) | 8,453-9,774 |
| Average Permeate Flux (GFD) | 15 |
| Permeate Conductivity (µs/cm) | 570-810 |
The NFX membrane exhibited a 99% rejection of GA3 over the course of the 200 minute trial. The ultimate concentration factor ranged from 2.1-2.5 with an average permeate flux of 15 GFD. With this combination of rejection and flux, the NFX Nanofiltration offers excellent overall performance in this application.
