Flow Measurement Application in Antibiotic Intermediate Production

Yili [Biotechnology Co., Ltd.] is a key high-tech enterprise in a certain economic development zone in Xinjiang. Its Yining Industrial Park covers an area of 1,319 acres, with a total investment exceeding 8 billion yuan. The company's main products include erythromycin thiocyanate, cephalosporin intermediates, and penicillin intermediates. It is a core global supplier of antibiotic raw materials and intermediates. The upgrade project of the erythromycin thiocyanate production workshop launched in 2023 aims to enhance the international market competitiveness by upgrading intelligent instruments to achieve precise control throughout the fermentation, extraction, and crystallization processes.

Project Requirements

The production process of erythromycin thiocyanate involves key steps such as high-activity fermentation, solvent extraction, and low-temperature crystallization, which pose special requirements for instruments:

1. High-purity medium control: The fermentation broth has high viscosity (500-2000 mPa·s) and contains suspended mycelial bodies, which can easily clog traditional flow meters.

2. Strong corrosive environment: Organic solvents such as dichloromethane and ethyl acetate (pH 1-3) are used in the extraction stage, requiring materials resistant to chemical corrosion.

3. Sterile production requirements: Instruments must withstand 120°C steam and strong acid and alkali cycles for CIP/SIP (cleaning in place/sterilization in place) operations.

4. Data traceability and compliance: Meet the FDA and EU GMP requirements for critical process parameters (CPP) under the 21 CFR Part 11 electronic record regulations.

Solutions and Product Configuration

Sure Instrument provided over 540 high-precision instruments covering the entire process of fermentation, extraction, crystallization, and wastewater treatment:

       1. Fermentation Process Optimization

Coriolis Mass Flow Meters:

Oil Flow Meter Manufacturer, Crude Oil Flow Meter | SURE

• Technical Advantages: Straight-tube design with no dead ends for retention, capable of withstanding mycelial slurry (viscosity range 1-5000 mPa·s).

• Application Scenario: Real-time monitoring of the feed mass flow rate of the fermentation broth (accuracy ±0.1%), linked with DO/pH probes to optimize oxygen supply and sugar supplementation strategies.

Temperature Transmitters:

Temperature Transmitter | Sure

• Technical Advantages: 316L sanitary clamp connection, IP69K protection, response time <1 second.

• Application Scenario: Multi-point monitoring of the temperature gradient in a 50m³ fermentation tank (30-35°C) to prevent local overheating that could lead to microbial inactivation.

       2. Solvent Extraction and Crystallization Control

         Electromagnetic Flow Meters:

      Electromagnetic Flow Meter Manufacturer, Seawater Flow Meter

• Technical Advantages: PFA lining + titanium electrodes, resistant to dichloromethane corrosion (officially certified with chemical resistance rating EX).

• Application Scenario: Precise measurement of the ratio of extractant to raffinate (flow error <0.3%), increasing erythromycin recovery rate to over 92%.

Temperature and Pressure Compensated Vortex Flow Meters:

      Oem Air Flow Meter Manufacturer, Steam Vortex Flow Meter | Sure

• Technical Advantages: Built-in dual sensors for simultaneous measurement of steam flow and temperature (turndown ratio 15:1, accuracy ±1.0%).

• Application Scenario: Control of steam flow in the crystallization tank jacket to maintain a low-temperature crystallization environment of -5~0°C.

      3. CIP/SIP and Environmental Protection Systems

          Pressure Transmitters:

      Pressure Transmitter | Sure

• Technical Advantages: Fully welded isolated diaphragm, pressure-resistant up to 40bar, SIL2 certified.

• Application Scenario: Monitoring pressure fluctuations in cleaning pipelines to ensure no leakage risk during high-temperature sterilization at 121°C.

 Radar Level Meter:

      80ghz Radar Level Meter Sure-8011 | Sure

• Technical Advantages: 80GHz high-frequency radar, PTFE antenna resistant to scaling (measurement accuracy ±1mm).

• Application Scenario: Level monitoring of high-concentration organic wastewater storage tanks, interlocked with membrane filtration and recovery systems.

     4. Process Analysis and Compliance Assurance

          pH Meters:

     Sow: Pah Or Oil-in-water | Sure

• Technical Advantages: Extendable electrodes with automatic mechanical cleaning (capable of withstanding pH 0-14).

• Application Scenario: Determination of fermentation endpoint pH value (set threshold ±0.05) to prevent excessive metabolic product inhibition.

         Implementation Results

• Production Efficiency: The Coriolis flow meter optimized feed efficiency, shortening the fermentation cycle by 12% and increasing annual production capacity by 80,000 tons.

• Quality Improvement: The improved accuracy of extractant flow control increased erythromycin purity to 99.5% (EP 10.0 standard).

• Sustainability: The recovery rate of organic solvents was increased to 98%, reducing annual wastewater discharge by 150,000 tons.