A Study of Process Interactions between Cell Disruption and Debris Clarification Stages in the Recovery of Yeast Intracellular Products

The effects of varying the levels of cell disruption achieved by high‐pressure homogenization upon subsequent centrifugal separation of cell debris have been defined by measuring sedimentation velocity distributions of the cell debris. Using this data together with particle size distributions, a computer‐based model of a disk stack centrifuge has been used to predict the efficiency of centrifugal separation. These predictions have been compared with both laboratory scale and pilot plant scale experimental results. A similar sedimentation velocity technique has been used to characterize the properties of the floes formed by addition of poly (ethylene imine) to a borax‐clarified homogenate supernatant. The variations of floe settling properties with respect to polymer concentration are defined.