Assessment of the efficiency of oxygen absorption in rotor-pulsating apparatus

This work presents the results of a study of the oxygen absorption rate in water solutions in the setup consisting of a jet unit and disperser-mixer, which is a rotor-pulsating apparatus. The purpose of the work was to evaluate the efficiency of the rotor-pulsating apparatus in the aeration of aqueous solutions. The experimental data were obtained by the method of chemical oxidation of sodium sulfide, part of the model solution, with air oxygen,. The influence of the rotor rotational speed on the oxygen absorption rate was determined by experiments. A comparison of aeration conditions, sulfite number, and energy efficiency in relation to the corresponding characteristics of some pneumatic and mechanical aerators found in the literature is provided.

Production of a-amylase in acid cheese whey culture media with automatic pH control

The influence of aeration and automatic pH control on the production of <FONT FACE="Symbol">a</FONT>-amylase by a strain of Bacillus subtilis NRRL 3411 from acid cheese whey was studied. Tests were carried out in a rotary shaker and in mechanically stirred fermenters. <FONT FACE="Symbol">a</FONT>-amylase was analysed according to DUN’s method. Oxygen absorption rate was determined by Cooper’s method. Cell oxygen demand was determined as oxygen consumption in a Warburg respirometer. The level of dissolved oxygen was measured by means of a galvanic silver-lead electrode. Results suggest the possibility of industrial use of acid cheese whey as a carbon source for <FONT FACE="Symbol">a</FONT>-amylase production, since the yield was similar to that produced with lactose. The highest <FONT FACE="Symbol">a</FONT>-amylase levels 10,000 DUN/ml units were not attained at higher aeration rates -431 mLO2/L.h-. The indicated value correspond to a 96 h process with automatic pH control at 7.5. These conditions resulted in double concentration of <FONT FACE="Symbol">a</FONT>-amylase. The enzyme production was directly related to growth in the form of cell aggregates.

Stress Relaxation in Rubber II. Simultaneous Oxygen Absorption

In any serious study of antioxidant action, it is essential that the oxygen absorption rate of a protected rubber be determined and the changes in the network system caused by the oxygen be assessed. This information is normally obtained from separate oxygen absorption and aging studies. A method is described in this article which enables simultaneous measurements of oxygen absorption and stress relaxation to be made on a given rubber sample. A number of antioxidants have been compounded with natural rubber and, from the results, an estimate is made of the molecules of oxygen absorbed per rubber chain cut. This is found to vary with the antioxidant, although some difficulties of interpretation are pointed out. Variations of deactivating effect among the antioxidants shows clearly that any attempt to understand oxidative degradation in terms of oxygen absorption or decay in physical properties alone is not possible. The method provides a new technique that is of value in any basic study of antioxidant action in elastomers.