Highly dense beaded sorbents suitable for fluidized bed applications.
New highly dense beaded sorbents suitable for fluidized bed applications of protein separations are presented. They are prepared using porous mineral oxides supporting functional hydrogels responsible for protein interaction. Beads of small diameter (70 microns) are selected to reduce mass transfer resistance. Zirconium oxide was the preferred mineral material due to its high density (5.9 g/ml) allowing high fluidizing liquid velocities (600 cm/h) into columns with a moderate bed expansion (lower than 3). Composite mineral--hydrogel sorbents are evaluated for their ability to rapidly adsorb proteins in fluidized bed and to separate with an appropriate resolution macromolecule mixtures in packed bed. Lysozyme dynamic capacities of 68 and 53 mg per ml of sedimented bed were obtained at fluidizing velocities of 450 and 900 cm/h.