Lysine
The amino acid lysine is a component of various proteins. Its positive impact on energy balance has now given lysine worldwide significance, primarily as an animal feed. GEA Westfalia Separator has developed a process for obtaining lysine which can be used to process even pure solutions of molasses without difficulty.
Integrated process line from GEA Westfalia Separator for obtaining lysine
In a first step, the fermentation broth passes to the separator where the bacteria are separated from the lysine solution. As a consequence, the solid spun off still contains lysine. It is therefore passed to a washing tank and treated with decanters in a second process step.
Whether a 2-stage or multi-stage process is used depends on the degree of efficiency required and the quantity of wash water available. In multi-stage processes, wash water is managed on the counter-current principle. This increases the overall degree of efficiency with which lysine is obtained. The bacterial mass obtained can then be dried and used as animal feed. In this second stage, the decanter ensures straightforward processing even of very high solids concentrations.
A further advantage is that the solids are concentrated to a much greater extent than is possible using a membrane unit. The higher dry solid substance leads to considerably less water having to be evaporated, which in turn reduces energy costs.