a natural high-value pigment obtained from Porphyridium cruentum.
Detailed studies describing the scaling up of ATPS processes from bench scale to pilot plant facilities are
not common. In this paper experiences derived from the scale-up of a previously developed process for
production and recovery of highly purified (purity defined as the absorbance ratio A545/A280 > 4) BPE are
described, where a scale-up factor of 850×
was implemented. Characterization of cell disruption with a
pilot-scale bead mill allowed efficient BPE release at 2900 rpm, 10% (w/v) sample load, 60% (v/v) bead
load and 0.5 mm glass beads and 22 min of residence time with a yield of 1.35 mg BPE/g of wet biomass.
BPE was recovered and purified using a strategy comprising isoelectric precipitation, aqueous two-phase
fractionation and ultrafiltration.