Continuous aqueous two-phase extraction of -lactalbumin from whey in conventional rotating disc contactor

The differential partitioning of -La to the PEG-rich phase and -Lg to the salt-rich phase was studied in the continuous extractor, rotating disc contactor (RDC), using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1000-trisodium citrate system. The performance of the extractor was evaluated in terms of holdup, mass transfer coefficient, extraction efficiency, and recovery by studying the operating variables such as phase velocities and rotor speed. The process conditions for the maximum dispersed phase mass transfer coefficient and recovery of -La was also obtained and reported.