Fermentation Air & Gas Filtration

Air is an indispensable process fluid required for enzyme fermentation, to enable and optimize microbial culture metabolism and growth. Compressed fermenter air or oxygen-enriched air is used for sparging and blanketing fermenters, to achieve the desired broth aeration, dissolved oxygen levels and provide a suitable barrier to the surrounding environment.

Fermenter air should be free of unwanted airborne microorganisms and bacteriophage contamination. It is important to prevent the entry of rogue microorganisms from the environment, that could derail the growth and multiplication of the selected fermentation organisms; contamination impacts fermentation yield and compromises product quality. This requirement is critical at the initial seed and propagation stages of fermentation, where sensitive microbial starter cultures must multiply from singular cells to a suitably large, defined cell mass that is finally transferred into the main production fermenters. Similarly, It is important to protect the production-scale fermenters.

Depending on the nature of the fermenter microbial cultures in use, it may also be important to remove undesirable microorganisms from the fermenter air exhaust before releasing them into the environment. 

Fermentation air filters and / fermenter gas filtration involves final filtration and prefiltration, aside from further air treatment upstream.

• Final fermenter air filtration provides a sterile barrier:

- between compressed inlet gas supply to fermenters and fermenter broth contents

- between fermenter air exhaust and the surrounding environment.

• Fermenter air prefiltration of compressed air protects downstream final air filters.

Finally, any ingredient or product-containing storage tanks in the fermentation or final product areas should be protected by tank vent filtration to avoid unnecessary airborne microbial contamination and/or exposure of tank contents to the environment. 

Learn more about selecting the appropriate compressed air or tank vent filters for your process.