Electrodialysis Empowering Lysine Separation and Purification: Current Application Status and Cutting-edge Progress of the technology

Lysine, as one of the essential amino acids for humans and animals, has extensive application value in multiple fields such as food, feed, and medicine. However, extracting lysine from fermentation broth has always been a major challenge in industrial production. In recent years, electrodialysis technology, as a membrane separation technology, has gradually emerged in the separation and purification of lysine due to its energy-saving and environmentally friendly features, and has become the focus of attention for researchers and the industrial sector.

I. Traditional Extraction Methods of Lysine and Their Limitations
The traditional methods for extracting lysine mainly include precipitation, organic solvent extraction, and ion exchange resin adsorption, etc. Although these methods can achieve the extraction of lysine to a certain extent, they all have some obvious limitations. For instance, the precipitation method usually requires the addition of a large amount of chemical reagents, which not only increases production costs but may also introduce new impurities. The organic solvent extraction method has problems such as difficult solvent recovery and significant environmental pollution. The ion exchange resin adsorption method has disadvantages such as frequent resin regeneration and complex operation.

Ii. Basic Principles and Advantages of Electrodialysis Technology
Electrodialysis technology is a technique that utilizes the principle of ion migration in membranes under the influence of an electric field to achieve the separation and purification of ions in solutions. During the electrodialysis process, the solution is placed in an electric field, and cations and anions migrate towards the cathode and anode respectively under the action of the electric field force. Meanwhile, the selective permeability of ion-exchange membranes enables only specific types of ions to pass through the membranes, thereby achieving the separation and purification of ions.

Compared with the traditional lysine extraction methods, electrodialysis technology has the following significant advantages:

Energy conservation: The electrodialysis process does not require the addition of additional chemical reagents, reducing production costs. Meanwhile, the ion migration process under the action of an electric field consumes less energy, which improves production efficiency.

Environmentally friendly and pollution-free: The electrodialysis process does not produce a large amount of wastewater, waste gas or solid waste, making it friendly to the environment.

Easy operation: The electrodialysis equipment has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and is easy to achieve automated and intelligent control.

High product purity: By optimizing the electrodialysis process parameters, high-purity lysine extraction can be achieved.

Iii. Application Practice of Electrodialysis Technology in the Separation and Purification of Lysine
In the separation and purification of lysine, electrodialysis technology is mainly applied in the following aspects:

Extraction of lysine from fermentation broth: The fermentation broth is directly subjected to electrodialysis treatment. By adjusting parameters such as the electric field intensity and the selective permeability of the membrane, the separation and purification of lysine from other ions are achieved.

Desalination treatment of lysine hydrochloride: Lysine produced by fermentation is usually neutralized with hydrochloric acid to obtain lysine hydrochloride, but lysine hydrochloride needs further desalination to obtain free lysine. Electrodialysis technology can remove chloride ions from lysine hydrochloride to obtain high-purity free lysine.

Resource utilization of lysine waste liquid: The waste liquid produced during the lysine production process contains a large amount of valuable substances such as ammonium sulfate. The recovery and reuse of ammonium sulfate in waste liquid can be achieved through electrodialysis technology, reducing production costs and realizing the recycling of resources.

Iv. The Latest Progress of Electrodialysis Technology in the Separation and Purification of Lysine
With the continuous development of electrodialysis technology, researchers have made many new advancements in the separation and purification of lysine. For instance, by optimizing the material and structure of the electrodialysis membrane, the selective permeability and anti-pollution performance of the membrane have been enhanced. By improving the structure and operation process of the electrodialysis equipment, the continuous and automated extraction process of lysine has been achieved. By introducing new electrodialysis technologies and equipment, such as bipolar membrane electrodialysis and continuous ion-exchange electrodialysis, the efficiency and purity of lysine extraction have been further enhanced.

The application of electrodialysis technology in the separation and purification of lysine has brought revolutionary changes to traditional processes. It not only enhances the extraction efficiency and purity of lysine, but also reduces production costs and environmental pollution. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous optimization of processes, the application prospects of electrodialysis technology in the separation and purification of lysine will be even broader. Meanwhile, this technology can also be extended to the separation and purification of other amino acids and biomolecules, contributing to the green development of industries such as chemical engineering and pharmaceuticals.

In conclusion, electrodialysis technology, as an energy-saving and environmentally friendly membrane separation technology, has demonstrated great application potential and value in the separation and purification of lysine. In the future, with the continuous innovation and upgrading of technology, electrodialysis technology will play an even more important role in the separation and purification of lysine and other biomolecules.