A study of ethanol production of yeast cells immobolized with polymer carrier produced by radiation polymerization

Polymer carriers, poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate(HEA)-methoxy polyethylene glycol methylacrylate (M-23G)) and poly (hydroxyethyl accrylate(HEA)-glycidyl methlacrylate(GMA)) using for immobilization of yeast cells were prepared by radiation polymerization at low temperature. Yeast cells were immobilized through adhesion and multiplication of yeast cells themselves. The ethanol productivity of immobilized yeast cells with these carriers was related to the monomer composition of polymers and the optimum monomer composition was 20% : 10% in poly(HEA-M-23G) and 17%: 6% in poly(HEA-GMA). In this case, the ethanol productivity of immobilized yeast cells was 29mg/ml/h which was about 4 times that of cells in free system. The relationship between the activity of immobilized yeast cells and the water content of polymer carrier were also discussed.