The equipment for hosting microbial fermentations 

There are several areas in which bioreactors are used

A bioreactor is a container of variable size in which is carried out a chemical process which involves organisms or active substances from the point of biochemically derived from such organisms.

The bioreactors are generally cylindrical, ranging in size from a few liters to cubic meters, and are made of stainless steel: apparently they are very similar to the static and stirred reactors in use in the pharmaceutical industry.

The construction of a bioreactor requires complex engineering skills: in fact  all environmental conditions that affect their growth (levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and pH) must be monitored continuously.

The bioreactors most used on an industrial scale are those for the growth of bacteria and yeasts: since all the biotechnological processes are at risk of contamination, the hygiene in the production is essential.

The heat exchange is necessary to maintain the temperature of continued growth and biological fermentation in most cases provides for a system of cooling / heating water through an outer jacket.

Since many fermentation processes require oxygen, bioreactors must be equipped with stirrers to increase the transfer of oxygen to the fermentation broths: however, the number of turns must be calibrated in a manner to reduce the mechanical stress on the microorganisms.

The use of bioreactors is spreading beyond the traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing: the construction of bioreactors is required by the environmental sector where they are used in the degradation of waste as an alternative to landfill and for the production of fuel from biological matrices such as algae.

Pilotta Angelo Srl – design and construction of fermenters for biotech industries – Via F.lli Cervi, 10 – Rho (Milan) – tel. 02/93909023