Recovery of citric acid from fermentation broths by electrodialysis with bipolar membranes

An hybrid membrane process for the recovery of citric acid from fermentation broth's which involves electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) is being developed. In this paper the results of EDBM tests performed in a laboratory pilot loop are presented. The most suitable cell configuration and related process parameters have been determined. A comparison of membrane performances of different manufacturers is also presented.