EFFECTS OF INTERMOLECULAR INTERACTIONS AND MOLECULAR ORIENTATION ON THE FLUX BEHAVIOR OF XANTHAN GUM SOLUTIONS DURING ULTRAFILTRATION

Conformational changes of xanthan gum as a function of concentration were investigated to elucidate its unusual flux behavior during ultrafiltration (UF). The contribution of hydrogen bonding on structure formation and the molecular orientation of xanthan gum on the flow characteristics were studied rheomechanically and rheo-optically. Known to affect xanthan structure at low concentrations, hydrogen bonding unexpectedly did not show significant influence on xanthan rheological properties up to 2 wt %. The ordered layers formed on the membrane surface proved responsible for the enhanced water removal during UF. This unique behavior could be attributed to the formation of aligned molecular orientation in addition to the viscosity increases during the biphasic region. Significant differences were observed between xanthan fermentation broth and solutions made of commercial xanthan, suggesting the need to control the salt concentration in fermentation broth in order to make UF an effective recovery process for xanthan gum after fermentation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The knowledge gained from the present study strengthens fundamental understandings on the conformational changes of xanthan biopolymers during the recovery of xanthan gum from fermentation broth using ultrafiltration (UF). By taking advantage of the aligned molecular orientation, along with controlling the salt concentration in the fermentation broth, UF could be operated at elevated flux to speed up the removal of water from the viscous fermentation broth. The technology should find broad applications in the fermentation industry, especially where viscosity is of concern during the separation and purification of the product.