- Email: [email protected]
Nitrogen generated for lab applications
NEWS The new disposable sensors complete the chain, and ensure that this year we will be one of the first companies to introduce a completely disposable reactor.’ The bioreactor is at the core of every biotechnological production process: this is where micro-organisms are bred under controlled conditions, and either their cells or the products of their metabolic processes are harvested for use in the manufacture of pharmaceutical agents. Until now, virtually all reactors on the market have been reusable systems. Sartorius has been developing a bioreactor as a disposable system to meet the stringent requirements of the pharmaceutical industry regarding safety and hygiene. Disposable components and systems are increasingly in demand, both for improved process reliability and for the economic advantages they offer. Disposable components are available for use at all times, and make it easy to change products in a production process quickly and inexpensively. In contrast, reusable bioreactors involve complicated cleaning processes and sterilization operations, with the concomitant qualification procedures which must be carried out before a product change. Contact: Sartorius AG, Weender Landstrasse 94–108, D-37075 Goettingen, Germany. Tel: +49 551 3080, www.sartorius.com
Simpler sanitization from SureVent membranes US-based Millipore Corporation is offering SureVent hydrophobic and super-hydrophobic membranes that have been stabilized which allows them to undergo gamma irradiation. The membranes are suitable for a broad range of liquid barrier and gas vent applications, including bag and tubing vents, vial vents, transducer protection, vent caps, insufflation and gas monitoring anaesthesia. Used in medical devices, the SureVent polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and ultra-high molecular
Membrane Technology February 2006
weight polyethylene (UPE) membranes provide an economic alternative to traditional ethylene oxide sanitization treatments. Stabilized for exposure to gamma irradiation, the membranes maintain their physical properties after gamma sterilization. As a result, sterile packaging processes are replaced with a single radiation step to deliver enhanced productivity. The super-hydrophobic SureVent PVDF membrane repels most liquids, including alcohols, proteins, lipids and other solutions with a low surface tension. The SureVent UPE membrane, a naturally hydrophobic membrane, provides good airflow for optimal venting and gas filtration applications. It seals well to most plastics. Both membranes are available with a choice of supported and unsupported polymers. Contact: Millipore Corporation, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, www.millipore.com
Nitrogen generated for lab applications A self-contained, membranebased nitrogen generator is now available that produces a continuous, on-demand supply of pure nitrogen (up to 99% pure) with pressures up to 0.8 MPa (8 bar) for use in the laboratory. The Parker Balston NitroFlow Lab generator produces nitrogen by using a combination of compressors, filtration and membrane separation technologies. Highly efficient coalescing filters remove all contaminants down to 0.01 µm. Hollow-fiber membranes subsequently separate the clean air into a concentrated nitrogen stream and oxygen-enriched permeate stream, which is vented from the system. The combination of these technologies produces a continuous, on-demand supply of pure nitrogen, says Parker Hannifin. The NitroFlow Lab has been tried and tested by all major liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) instrument manufacturers, says the company.
Contact: Parker Filtration and Separation, Balston Operation, 242 Neck Road, PO Box 8223, Haverhill, MA 01835-0723, USA. Tel: +1 978 858 0505, www.parker.com
VSEP successfully treats acidic process water In the US, the Florida Institute for Phosphate Research recently awarded a research grant to New Logic Research Inc of Emeryville, California to study the use of its reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for the treatment of acidic process water stored in large ponds known as phosphogypsum stacks. The pilot trials were completed at an active phosphate plant in Bartow, Florida and the results prove the patented VSEP vibrating membrane filtration system efficiently filters the wastewater, producing filtrate that is suitable for surface water discharge. The typical phosphogysum stack covers about 240 ha (600 acres) and contains large volumes of lowpH wastewater made up of hazardous and even radioactive substances that cannot be discharged without treatment. Treating this volume of water with traditional methods requires large quantities of lime, and creates even larger quantities of residual sludge which must also be disposed of. An active phosphate pond contains about 5% dissolved solids. After VSEP RO filtration, the effluent contains less than 0.005% dissolved solids – i.e. water clean enough to meet the stringent standards for surface water discharge set by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. And, unlike traditional lime treatment, VSEP treatment does not create large volumes of sludge, which creates additional costs and handling issues. ‘Conventional RO membranes with pretreatment have been used for many years for sea-water desalination,’ says New Logic Research’s Chief Executive Officer, Greg Johnson. ‘However, these systems have limited functionality when used for other wastewater containing high levels of scale-forming
In Brief Singapore to host MST06 membrane symposium In Singapore, the Institute of Environmental Science & Engineering at Nanyang Technical University is running a symposium on membrane science and technology on 26–28 April. The aim of the Membrane Science and Technology, Workshop and Symposium (MST06) is to showcase membrane research, development and applications in South-East Asia. Specific topics include membrane preparation, and their use in water and wastewater treatment, generating energy, biology and the process industries. (For more details, see the Events Calendar on page 15.) Funding targets water quality monitoring The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to allocate a further $18 million for national water quality monitoring, according to reports in the US press. These funds supplement an existing allocation of approximately $200m a year to support state, interstate agency and tribal programs to combat water pollution. The EPA says that it is changing the way it allocates funds under the water pollution control grant program (known as Section 106 of the Clean Water Act). Under a revised process, it will be able to better target these additional funds to help carry out priority areas that include monitoring for pollutants. Key appointments at Millipore US company Millipore Corporation has made two key appointments to its senior management team. It has named Dr Bruce Bonnevier as Corporate Vice President of Global Human Resources, and Dr Roland Heinrich as Vice President of Research & Development for its Bioprocess Division. Dr Bonnevier will lead Millipore’s global human resources organization, which supports a workforce of 4850 employees worldwide. Dr Heinrich will be responsible for executing the division’s R&D initiatives in its filtration, chromatography, disposable manufacturing and process monitoring tools businesses.
5
Simpler sanitization from SureVent membranes US-based Millipore Corporation is offering SureVent hydrophobic and super-hydrophobic membranes that have been stabilized which allows them to undergo gamma irradiation. The membranes are suitable for a broad range of liquid barrier and gas vent applications, including bag and tubing vents, vial vents, transducer protection, vent caps, insufflation and gas monitoring anaesthesia. Used in medical devices, the SureVent polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and ultra-high molecular
Membrane Technology February 2006
weight polyethylene (UPE) membranes provide an economic alternative to traditional ethylene oxide sanitization treatments. Stabilized for exposure to gamma irradiation, the membranes maintain their physical properties after gamma sterilization. As a result, sterile packaging processes are replaced with a single radiation step to deliver enhanced productivity. The super-hydrophobic SureVent PVDF membrane repels most liquids, including alcohols, proteins, lipids and other solutions with a low surface tension. The SureVent UPE membrane, a naturally hydrophobic membrane, provides good airflow for optimal venting and gas filtration applications. It seals well to most plastics. Both membranes are available with a choice of supported and unsupported polymers. Contact: Millipore Corporation, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, www.millipore.com
Nitrogen generated for lab applications A self-contained, membranebased nitrogen generator is now available that produces a continuous, on-demand supply of pure nitrogen (up to 99% pure) with pressures up to 0.8 MPa (8 bar) for use in the laboratory. The Parker Balston NitroFlow Lab generator produces nitrogen by using a combination of compressors, filtration and membrane separation technologies. Highly efficient coalescing filters remove all contaminants down to 0.01 µm. Hollow-fiber membranes subsequently separate the clean air into a concentrated nitrogen stream and oxygen-enriched permeate stream, which is vented from the system. The combination of these technologies produces a continuous, on-demand supply of pure nitrogen, says Parker Hannifin. The NitroFlow Lab has been tried and tested by all major liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) instrument manufacturers, says the company.
Contact: Parker Filtration and Separation, Balston Operation, 242 Neck Road, PO Box 8223, Haverhill, MA 01835-0723, USA. Tel: +1 978 858 0505, www.parker.com
VSEP successfully treats acidic process water In the US, the Florida Institute for Phosphate Research recently awarded a research grant to New Logic Research Inc of Emeryville, California to study the use of its reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for the treatment of acidic process water stored in large ponds known as phosphogypsum stacks. The pilot trials were completed at an active phosphate plant in Bartow, Florida and the results prove the patented VSEP vibrating membrane filtration system efficiently filters the wastewater, producing filtrate that is suitable for surface water discharge. The typical phosphogysum stack covers about 240 ha (600 acres) and contains large volumes of lowpH wastewater made up of hazardous and even radioactive substances that cannot be discharged without treatment. Treating this volume of water with traditional methods requires large quantities of lime, and creates even larger quantities of residual sludge which must also be disposed of. An active phosphate pond contains about 5% dissolved solids. After VSEP RO filtration, the effluent contains less than 0.005% dissolved solids – i.e. water clean enough to meet the stringent standards for surface water discharge set by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. And, unlike traditional lime treatment, VSEP treatment does not create large volumes of sludge, which creates additional costs and handling issues. ‘Conventional RO membranes with pretreatment have been used for many years for sea-water desalination,’ says New Logic Research’s Chief Executive Officer, Greg Johnson. ‘However, these systems have limited functionality when used for other wastewater containing high levels of scale-forming
In Brief Singapore to host MST06 membrane symposium In Singapore, the Institute of Environmental Science & Engineering at Nanyang Technical University is running a symposium on membrane science and technology on 26–28 April. The aim of the Membrane Science and Technology, Workshop and Symposium (MST06) is to showcase membrane research, development and applications in South-East Asia. Specific topics include membrane preparation, and their use in water and wastewater treatment, generating energy, biology and the process industries. (For more details, see the Events Calendar on page 15.) Funding targets water quality monitoring The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to allocate a further $18 million for national water quality monitoring, according to reports in the US press. These funds supplement an existing allocation of approximately $200m a year to support state, interstate agency and tribal programs to combat water pollution. The EPA says that it is changing the way it allocates funds under the water pollution control grant program (known as Section 106 of the Clean Water Act). Under a revised process, it will be able to better target these additional funds to help carry out priority areas that include monitoring for pollutants. Key appointments at Millipore US company Millipore Corporation has made two key appointments to its senior management team. It has named Dr Bruce Bonnevier as Corporate Vice President of Global Human Resources, and Dr Roland Heinrich as Vice President of Research & Development for its Bioprocess Division. Dr Bonnevier will lead Millipore’s global human resources organization, which supports a workforce of 4850 employees worldwide. Dr Heinrich will be responsible for executing the division’s R&D initiatives in its filtration, chromatography, disposable manufacturing and process monitoring tools businesses.
5