PURPOSE: To continuously and efficiently carry out reaction, such as acetic acid fermentation, by feeding a solution to be reacted and oxygen to a reaction column containing a honeycomb structural unit of porous ceramics containing immobilized aerobic microorganisms while controlling feed rates of the solution and oxygen.
CONSTITUTION: A solution to be reacted is fed from a feed port (11b) for the solution to be reacted into a reaction column 11 containing a honeycomb structural unit 13 of porous ceramics containing immobilized aerobic microorganisms (e.g. acetic acid bacterial strain Acetobacter acetic IFO 3284) and a gas containing oxygen in a given concentration is fed from a gas feed port (11a) to form the solution to be reacted into the shape of bubbles and pass the solution through the honeycomb structural unit 13. Thereby the feed rates of the solution to be reacted and gas are controlled so as to maintain the bubble state of the solution to be reacted from the lower to the upper ends of the honeycomb structural unit 13 and carry out the reaction. The reacted solution after the reaction is then recovered in a reaction solution tank 12 to afford the aimed product.
TAKADA MITSUO
YOKOTA TADAO
NAKANO HIROSHI
FUJITA YASUSHI
NGK INSULATORS LTD