Cefalexin crystallization residual liquor separation via nanofiltration based multistage process

Collagen Fiber-Based Advanced Separation Materials: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives

Separation plays a critical role in a broad range of industrial applications. Developing advanced separation materials is of great significance for the future development of separation technology. Collagen fibers (CFs), the typical structural proteins, exhibit unique structural hierarchy, amphiphilic wettability, and versatile chemical reactivity. These distinctive properties provide infinite possibilities for the rational design of advanced separation materials. During the past 2 decades, many progressive achievements in the development of CFs-derived advanced separation materials have been witnessed already. Herein, the CFs-based separation materials are focused on and the recent progresses in this topic are reviewed. CFs widely existing in animal skins display unique hierarchically fibrous structure, amphiphilicity-enabled surface wetting behaviors, multi-functionality guaranteed covalent/non-covalent reaction versatility. These outstanding merits of CFs bring great opportunities for realizing rational design of a variety of advanced separation materials that were capable of achieving high-performance separations to diverse specific targets, including oily pollutants, natural products, metal ions, anionic contaminants and proteins, etc. Besides, the important issues for the further development of CFs-based advanced separation materials are also discussed.

Direct separation and purification of α-lactalbumin from cow milk whey by aqueous two-phase flotation of thermo-sensitive polymer/phosphate

BACKGROUND

α-lactalbumin (α-La) is of great interest to the industry as a result of its excellent functional properties and nutritional value. Aqueous two-phase flotation (ATPF) of thermo-sensitive polymer poly (ethylene glycol-ran-propylene glycol) monobutyl ether (UCON) and KH₂ PO₄ was applied to directly separate and purify α-La from milk whey, which was purposed to simplify the production process and reduced cost of production.

RESULTS

The effect of ATPF composition and operating parameters on the flotation efficiency (E) and purity of α-La were investigated. The optimal conditions included 2 min of premixing time, 30 mL min^-1 flow velocity and 20 min of flotation time, whereas the composition conditions comprised 35.0 mL 0.18 g mL^-1 phosphate solution (containing 10% (cow milk whey/salt solution, v/v) cow milk whey, 50 ppm defoamer and 2 g NaCl) and 5.0 mL of 40% (w/w) UCON solution. Under the optimal conditions, E of α-La was 95.67 ± 1.04% and purity of α-La was 98.78 ± 1.19%. UCON was recovered by a thermally-induced phase separation and reused in next ATPF process without reducing E of α-La. Purified α-La was characterized by several key technologies. The results indicated that α-La in cow milk whey could be directly separated and purified by the ATPF and the purity was satisfactory. Moreover, it was suggested there was no obvious structure difference between the α-La separated by ATPF and the α-La standard.

CONCLUSION

The present study enabled the recycling of UCON, providing an effective, economically viable and environmentally friendly approach for the separation and purification of protein. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.