Bioreactor carrier, process for producing the carrier and method for using the same

Abstract

There are disclosed a bioreactor carrier comprising a (A) water swellable thermoplastic resin, preferably water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane resin and a (B) compatible resin with the resin as the component (A), and as the case may be, a (C) inorganic filler, characterized in that the degree of volumetric swelling of said carrier is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, and that the specific gravity of said carrier on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 2.12; a process for producing the bioreactor carrier; and a process for denitrifying treatment of organic waste water which comprises nitrifying and denitrifying nitrogen components in the organic waste water with microbes by using the above bioreactor carrier. The bioreactor carrier has high physical strength, can be readily produced and uniformly fluidized in a reactor, and enables microbial and enzymatic reactions to be effectively performed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for producing a bioreactor carrier, the degree of volumetric swelling of which is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, which comprises: 
 blending a water-swellable thermoplastic resin with a resin compatible with the aforesaid thermoplastic resin, forming a resultant blend;    thereafter heat-melting the resultant blend, thereby forming a molten blend;    extruding the molten blend through an extruder into the form of strand; and    continuously cutting the strand.    
     
     
         2 . A process for producing a bioreactor carrier, the degree of volumetric swelling of which is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, and the specific gravity of which on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 2.12, which comprises: 
 blending a water-swellable thermoplastic resin with a resin that is compatible with the water-swellable thermoplastic resin and with an inorganic filler, thereby forming a resultant blend;    thereafter heat-melting the resultant blend, thereby forming a molten blend;    extruding the molten blend through an extruder into the form of strand; and    continuously cutting the strand.    
     
     
         3 . A process for producing a bioreactor carrier, the degree of volumetric swelling of which is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, and the specific gravity of which on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 2.12, which comprises: 
 blending an inorganic filler at the time of producing a water-swellable thermoplastic resin from reactants of said resin, thereby forming a resultant blend;    blending the resultant blend with a compatible resin with said water-swellable thermoplastic resin, thereby forming a further blend;    thereafter heat-melting the further blend thus obtained, forming a molten blend;    extruding the molten blend through an extruder into the form of strand; and    continuously cutting the strand.    
     
     
         4 . A process for producing a bioreactor carrier, the degree of volumetric swelling of which is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, and the specific gravity of which on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 2.12, which comprises: 
 blending an inorganic filler at the time of producing a water-swellable thermoplastic resin from reactants of said resin, thereby forming a resultant blend;    blending the resultant blend with a compatible resin with said water-swellable thermoplastic resin and with an inorganic filler, thereby forming a further blend;    thereafter heat-melting the further blend thus obtained, thereby forming a molten blend;    extruding the molten blend through an extruder into the form of strand; and    continuously cutting the strand.