EFFECT OF ASPERGILLUS-NIGER PELLETS ON CITRIC-ACID PRODUCTION IN A BUBBLE-COLUMN BIOREACTOR

Citrate is mainly produced from fungi and oxygen transfer has been known as one of the important factors in citric acid production. A bubble column bioreactor was used for citrate production after pellet was initially made using a stirred bioreactor for the inoculation. The relationship between the pellet size of Aspergillus niger and the oxygen transfer was elucidated by considering morphological characteristics of the pellet. The pellet size was determined by adjusting the impeller speed in the stirred bioreactor and the optimum diameter of the pellet was observed to be 2.2 mm under the experimental conditions. Pellet was maintained quite stable in the bubble column bioreactor and production of citric acid was significantly improved by maintaining optimal pellet conditions in the bubble column bioreactor.