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Amino acid production by micro-organisms cause considerable foaming. PMC OUVRIE defoamers EROL™, BIOSPUMEX™ and CLEROL™ help to stabilize the process while maintaining yields due to their non-toxic formulation.

Our range of defoamers is produced in compliance with HACCP rules.

Amino acid production through fermentation generates exceptionally stable foam that threatens to overwhelm bioreactors, reduce oxygen transfer efficiency, and contaminate downstream processing equipment. The combination of proteins, surfactants, and metabolic byproducts creates persistent foam that can halt production and compromise product quality. PMC Ouvrie's defoamers for amino acid production provide reliable foam control throughout fermentation, recovery, and purification stages, ensuring optimal yields and consistent product quality.

Specialized Chemistry for Fermentation Processes

Our antifoams for amino acid production are engineered specifically for the demanding conditions of industrial fermentation. These formulations must control foam without inhibiting microbial growth, interfering with nutrient uptake, or contaminating the final amino acid product. Whether you're producing L-glutamic acid, L-lysine, L-threonine, or other amino acids through bacterial or fungal fermentation, our defoamers deliver effective foam suppression while maintaining biocompatibility and product purity.

Common Foam Challenges in Amino Acid Production

Fermentation Vessel Overflow: During active fermentation, microbial metabolism and continuous aeration create voluminous, protein-stabilized foam. This foam can rapidly fill headspace and overflow the bioreactor, resulting in product loss, contamination risks, and equipment damage. Large-scale fermenters (50,000+ liters) face particularly severe consequences from foam-related shutdowns, with each incident potentially costing thousands of liters of valuable product.

Oxygen Transfer Limitation: Foam layers on the fermentation broth surface act as barriers to oxygen transfer, reducing dissolved oxygen levels and limiting cell growth rates. Insufficient oxygen availability shifts metabolism toward less efficient pathways, reduces amino acid yields, and increases formation of unwanted byproducts. This effect is especially problematic during exponential growth phases when oxygen demand peaks.

Process Monitoring Interference: Foam buildup interferes with level sensors, pH probes, and foam detectors, providing false readings that can trigger inappropriate process adjustments or emergency shutdowns. Foam coating on agitator shafts and baffles also creates mechanical stress and increases power consumption, accelerating equipment wear.

Downstream Contamination and Recovery Issues: Foam carryover into exhaust gas filtration systems clogs filters, increases pressure drop, and necessitates frequent maintenance. During harvest and purification, foam complicates cell separation, extends settling times, and can carry cells and impurities into clarified product streams, reducing recovery efficiency and increasing purification costs.

How PMC Ouvrie Defoamers Work in Amino Acid Fermentation

Our defoamers for amino acid production utilize carefully selected chemistries; typically polypropylene glycol-based compounds, fatty acid esters, or specialized silicone emulsions that rapidly destabilize foam without harming fermentation organisms or leaving residues that affect product quality. These formulations are designed to work effectively at low concentrations, minimizing impact on fermentation kinetics while providing reliable foam control throughout multi-day fermentation cycles.

The active components spread quickly across foam surfaces, disrupting bubble stability and promoting rapid collapse. Crucially, our antifoams for amino acid production are formulated to maintain effectiveness in the presence of antibiotic supplements, complex nutrients, and metabolic surfactants produced during fermentation. They remain stable under continuous agitation and aeration without being stripped from the broth or losing activity over extended fermentation times.

The technology is optimized for:

• L-glutamic acid and monosodium glutamate (MSG) production
• L-lysine fermentation for feed and pharmaceutical applications
• L-threonine, L-tryptophan, and other feed-grade amino acids
• L-phenylalanine, L-valine, and branched-chain amino acids
• Pharmaceutical-grade amino acids requiring high purity
• Multi-stage fed-batch and continuous fermentation processes

Performance Benefits

Maximized Fermentation Productivity: Effective foam control allows bioreactors to operate at full working volume with optimal aeration rates, maximizing cell density and amino acid titers. Higher productivity per batch translates directly to increased facility throughput.

Enhanced Oxygen Transfer Efficiency: Eliminating foam barriers ensures efficient oxygen transfer from sparged air to the fermentation broth, supporting robust cell growth and efficient conversion of feedstocks to target amino acids.

Improved Process Control: Reliable foam suppression enables accurate process monitoring and control. Sensors function properly, automation systems respond correctly, and operators can focus on optimizing fermentation parameters rather than managing foam crises.

Reduced Product Loss and Contamination: Preventing foam overflow eliminates product losses and reduces contamination risks that can compromise entire batches. This is especially critical for high-value pharmaceutical-grade amino acids.

Increased Equipment Reliability: Less mechanical stress on agitators and reduced fouling of exhaust filters extend equipment service life and reduce maintenance frequency, improving overall equipment effectiveness.

Better Product Recovery: Controlled foam during harvest and downstream processing improves cell separation efficiency, reduces clarification time, and minimizes product losses to waste streams, directly improving overall yield.

Application Guidelines

Dosage Range: Typically 50-500 ppm based on fermentation broth volume. Requirements vary with fermentation organism, growth medium composition, aeration rate, and agitation intensity. Fed-batch processes may require periodic supplementation as fresh nutrients are added.

Addition Point:

• Initial charge: Add to seed medium or production medium before inoculation
• During fermentation: Add through sterile addition ports when foam sensors detect rising foam levels, or dose continuously at low rates via peristaltic pumps
• Automated control: Many large-scale operations use foam sensors coupled to automated dosing systems for optimal control

Sterilization Compatibility: Verify compatibility with your sterilization method (autoclave or in-line heat sterilization). Some defoamers for amino acid production can be sterilized with the medium; others must be sterile-filtered and added aseptically.

Optimization Protocol:

1. Begin with supplier-recommended dosage in lab-scale fermentations
2. Monitor foam behavior, cell growth, and amino acid production
3. Adjust dosage to minimum effective level that prevents foam without excess
4. Scale up gradually, adjusting for differences in geometry and mixing

Quality and Purity: For pharmaceutical-grade amino acids, select antifoams that meet relevant regulatory requirements and provide necessary documentation for quality assurance.

Storage: Store in sealed containers away from extreme temperatures. Shake or stir products before use if settling has occurred. Follow product-specific storage guidelines.

Technical Support and Fermentation Expertise

Amino acid fermentation processes vary significantly based on production organism, substrate utilization, and product specifications. PMC Ouvrie's technical team understands these nuances and can recommend optimal defoamer chemistry for your specific fermentation conditions. We provide sample quantities for fermentation trials and offer technical support for scale-up and production optimization.

Ready to optimize foam control in your amino acid fermentation? Contact PMC Ouvrie today to discuss your production challenges and request product samples. Our fermentation specialists are available to help you maximize productivity and product recovery.