Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material includes (a) hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution and (b) filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from a feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from a permeate side.

Abstract: The invention provides a polymer separation membrane that is excellent in separating characteristics, a permeating ability, a chemical strength (particularly chemical resistance) and a physical strength, and also excellent in a stain resistance, and a producing method therefor. The fluorinated resin-type polymer separation membrane includes a layer having a three-dimensional network structure, and a layer having a spherical structure, wherein the layer of three-dimensional network structure is formed by a fluorinated resin-type polymer composition containing a hydrophilic polymer, and the hydrophilic polymer is a substantially water-insoluble hydrophilic polymer containing at least one of a cellulose ester, an aliphatic vinyl ester, vinylpyrrolidone, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide as a polymerization component. The polymer separation membrane is applicable as a filtration membrane for water treatment, a battery separator, a charged membrane, a fuel cell membrane or a blood cleaning filtration membrane.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material includes (a) hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution and (b) filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from a feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from a permeate side.

Abstract: A sugar liquid containing only very small amounts of fermentation-inhibiting substances is produced by a method for producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material, the method including: (1) a step of hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution; and (2) a step of filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from the feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from the permeate side.

Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by microbial fermentation, comprising: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in step (A) under a pressure of 1 Pa to atmospheric pressure (inclusive) at a temperature of 25 to 200° C. (inclusive) to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: A method of producing chemicals through continuous fermentation includes washing a membrane with a washing liquid supplied from a permeate side of a membrane unit in a continuous fermentation; filtering a culture medium containing a fermentation feedstock, a chemical and a microbe or a cultured cell through a separation membrane; collecting the chemical from a filtrate; retaining or refluxing unfiltered remains in the culture medium; and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture medium, wherein the washing liquid is high-temperature water having a temperature higher than a temperature of the culture medium and of 150° C. or less, and a concentration of the microbe in a fermenter is controlled by supplying the washing liquid.

Abstract: A method produces a chemical by fermentation including: filtering a liquid containing a feedstock, the chemical, and bacterial, microbial or cultured cells through a membrane to recover the chemical from the filtrate; retaining or refluxing unfiltered liquid in the liquid; and adding the feedstock to the liquid, wherein the membrane is a porous hollow-fiber membrane including a polyvinylidene fluoride resin, the porous hollow-fiber membrane having an average pore size of 0.001 ?m to 10.0 ?m, pure water permeability coefficient at 50 kPa at 25° C. of 0.5 m3/m2/hr to 15 m3/m2/hr, breaking strength of 5 MPa to 20 MPa, elongation at break of 30% to 200%, crimping degree of 1.3 to 2.5, porosity of not less than 40%, and critical surface tension of 45 mN/m to 75 mN/m.

Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by microbial fermentation, comprising: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in step (A) under a pressure of 1 Pa to atmospheric pressure at a temperature of 25 to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: A method for producing a diamine includes purifying a diamine from an aqueous solution containing a diamine salt by adding an alkaline substance to the aqueous solution and then filtering the resulting solution by allowing the solution to pass through a nanofiltration membrane to remove the salt, thereby obtaining an aqueous diamine solution.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane module for use in production of a chemical substance, which is used in continuous fermentation including filtering a fermentation broth of a microorganism or a cultured cell through a hollow fiber membrane, collecting a chemical substance from a filtrate, retaining a concentrated solution in the fermentation broth or refluxing the concentrated solution, and adding a fermentation raw material to the fermentation broth, wherein a large number of hollow fiber membrane bundles are accommodated in a tubular case, at least one end part of each of the bundles is fixed on the tubular case by a hollow fiber membrane bundling member with an end face of each of the hollow fiber membranes open, and the hollow fiber membrane bundling member is made of a synthetic resin having a hardness retention rate after contact with saturated steam at 121° C. for 24 hours of 95% or more.

Abstract: A fluorine resin polymer separation membrane and a manufacturing method of the same, which are excellent in a virus-eliminating property, further excellent in water permeability, chemical strength (chemical resistance), physical strength, and an antifouling property, and particularly suitable for practicable use as a filtration membrane for the elimination of viruses, are provided. A fluorine resin polymer separation membrane includes a layer having a three-dimensional network structure and a layer having a spherical structure, in which the layer having a three-dimensional network structure does not substantially contain micro-voids having a void diameter of 5 ?m or more, and the fluorine resin polymer separation membrane has filtration performance represented by the elimination rate of 80% or more of dextran having molecular weight of 75,000. The layer having a three-dimensional network structure is formed by the solidification with a polymer solution containing a fluorine resin polymer and cellulose ester.

Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: A sugar liquid containing only very small amounts of fermentation-inhibiting substances is produced by a method for producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material, the method including: (1) a step of hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution; and (2) a step of filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from the feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from the permeate side.

Abstract: A method for producing a diamine includes purifying a diamine from an aqueous solution containing a diamine salt by adding an alkaline substance to the aqueous solution and then filtering the resulting solution by allowing the solution to pass through a nanofiltration membrane to remove the salt, thereby obtaining an aqueous diamine solution.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a porous membrane including a three-dimensional network structure and a spherical structure is provided. The method includes forming a porous membrane having a spherical structure, applying a resin solution onto at least one surface of the porous membrane having the spherical structure, followed by immersing the membrane in a solidification liquid, thereby forming the three-dimensional network structure on at least one surface of a porous membrane having the spherical structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lactic acid production method by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by means of the fermentation culture of a microorganism. Specifically disclosed is a lactic acid production method, which comprises: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in the step (A) under a pressure ranging from 1 Pa to the atmospheric pressure (inclusive) at a temperature ranging from 25 to 200° C. (inclusive) to collect lactic acid. The method can effectively remove an inorganic salt dissolved in a fermentation culture solution or contained in the fermentation culture solution in the form of a poorly soluble solid material by a simple manipulation, enables to prevent the racemization or oligomerization of lactic acid during the process of producing lactic acid, and therefore can produce lactic acid in a high yield.

Abstract: A fluorine resin polymer separation membrane and a manufacturing method of the same, which are excellent in a virus-eliminating property, further excellent in water permeability, chemical strength (chemical resistance), physical strength, and an antifouling property, and particularly suitable for practicable use as a filtration membrane for the elimination of viruses, are provided. A fluorine resin polymer separation membrane includes a layer having a three-dimensional network structure and a layer having a spherical structure, in which the layer having a three-dimensional network structure does not substantially contain micro-voids having a void diameter of 5 ?m or more, and the fluorine resin polymer separation membrane has filtration performance represented by the elimination rate of 80% or more of dextran having molecular weight of 75,000. The layer having a three-dimensional network structure is formed by the solidification with a polymer solution containing a fluorine resin polymer and cellulose ester.