Machine Design magazine
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The Skinny: Editors detailed news on the latest tools available for design engineers in the Basics of Design Engineering section. Armed with stacks of product information, I developed articles for various issues; this one focused on plastics. Style: Straightforward, technical Excerpt: Polymer Solves Bioreactor Purity Concerns Aerobic fermentation processes require bioreactors that resist chemical attack and maintain high levels of purity. When incorporating advanced systems such as bioreactors in aerobic fermentation, components must be metal-free and corrosion resistant. A high-performance polymer from Victrex USA provides a steel- and aluminum-free environment for sensitive fermentations that require corrosive and abrasive media. FairMenTec, Gottingen, Germany, incorporated PEEK polymer into components that come in direct contact with reactants, including the reactor cover, mixer, stirring device and various armatures/fittings and immersion pipes. Also, by using the polymer in the rector's fully autoclaveable central solenoid coupling, designers achieved a high level of contamination resistance. Coated encapsulated magnets ensure hermetic sealing of the reactor's interior. The design prevents aggressive gasses from leaking into the surrounding environment, yet the coupling can be dismantled for cleaning and requires no shaft seals.
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