Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Manufacturers

I. Customer Pain Points

MSG manufacturers face three core challenges in the fermentation, extraction, and refining processes: pigment residue, insufficient monosodium glutamate (MSG) purity, and difficulty in mother liquor treatment. These issues directly threaten product quality and compliance.

Pigment Residue, Substandard Product Color

Fermentation broth contains melanoidins (concentration 300-1500 mg/L) and caramel color (concentration 200-1000 mg/L).

Traditional ion exchange resins can only remove 40% of the pigments, resulting in a "light gray" color (Lovibond color value > 5 yellow) for MSG, failing to meet the national standard GB 2720-2015 requirement of "superior grade color ≤ 3 yellow." A MSG factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Charcoal Technology, had 20 tons of MSG returned due to substandard color, resulting in a loss exceeding 800,000 yuan.

Insufficient purity of monosodium glutamate (MSG) hinders access to the high-end market.

The extract contains impurities such as protein (concentration 5-20 mg/L) and organic acids (lactic acid, concentration 10-50 mg/L). Traditional activated carbon decolorization is not optimized for MSG molecules (molecular diameter ≈ 0.6 nm), resulting in an adsorption loss rate of >15% and a purity of only 99.0% (below the EU EC 1333/2008 requirement of "food-grade MSG purity ≥99.5%"). High-end products account for only 15% of the market (2022 industry data).

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) mother liquor is difficult to treat, and faces significant environmental compliance pressures. It contains high concentrations of organic matter (COD 5000-20000 mg/L, such as residual sugar and glutamic acid) and pigments (concentration 1000-5000 mg/L), requiring compliance with the "Emission Standard of Pollutants for MSG Industry" (GB 19431-2004) which stipulates "COD ≤ 100 mg/L, color ≤ 50 times." Traditional "biochemical + Fenton" treatment methods achieve a removal rate of less than 30% for recalcitrant pigments, resulting in annual environmental fines of up to 250,000 RMB per company (2022 industry data).

II. Application Objectives

The four core objectives for MSG companies using activated carbon are: achieving color compliance, improving purity, ensuring compliance, and reducing costs: Deep decolorization to ensure color compliance. Food-grade wood-based powdered activated carbon (PAC, 200 mesh) precisely adsorbs melanin and caramel color from fermentation broth, achieving a removal rate >99%. The Lovibond color value is reduced to ≤3 yellow (meeting the requirements of GB 2720-2015 superior grade). After using this method, a MSG factory, a partner of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saw its color compliance rate increase from 60% to 99%.

Improving Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Purity and Breaking into the High-End Market: Using mesoporous activated carbon (55% 2-50nm) to adsorb impurities such as protein and lactic acid while retaining MSG (adsorption loss rate <5%), purity is increased to >99.5% (compliant with EU EC 1333/2008). The proportion of high-end products increases from 15% to 55%, and the unit price increases by 20%. After using this technology, a MSG company, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saw its high-end product exports increase from 5 tons/month to 20 tons/month.

Deep Treatment of Mother Liquor to Ensure Environmental Compliance: Utilizing a combined PAC + granular activated carbon (GAC) process, the COD of the mother liquor is reduced from 5000-20000 mg/L to <100 mg/L, and the color is reduced to <50 times (compliant with GB 19431-2004), with a removal rate >99%. After using this technology, a MSG factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saw its annual environmental fines decrease from 250,000 yuan to zero.

Reduce purification costs and replace high-energy-consuming processes.

The operating cost of activated carbon technology is only 0.8-1.5 yuan/ton of fermentation liquid (1/3 of that of ion exchange), and it can be regenerated 3-5 times (regeneration cost is 30% of new carbon). A MSG company, a partner of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, reduced its annual purification cost from 2 million yuan to 700,000 yuan, a decrease of 65%.

III. Application Significance

The application of activated carbon in MSG companies is a core support for the company's "quality baseline + high-end breakthrough + compliant survival": Quality baseline: 55% of MSG products worldwide are returned due to "color defects." Activated carbon is one of the few technologies that can simultaneously remove melanin and caramel color while retaining monosodium glutamate, directly avoiding "product scrap" (e.g., a MSG factory, a partner of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saved 800,000 yuan/year after using it). High-end Breakthrough: The EU and the US require food-grade MSG to have a purity of ≥99.5%. Activated carbon's "mesoporous adsorption + low loss" process is the only technology that can meet these standards at a low cost. After using it, one company saw its high-end product exports increase from 5 tons/month to 20 tons/month, entering the EU market.

Compliance and Survival: In 2022, 60% of environmental penalties in the MSG industry were due to "excessive COD/color." Activated carbon is one of the few technologies that can simultaneously treat high concentrations of organic matter and pigments at a controllable cost, directly avoiding the risk of "production shutdown and rectification."

IV. Application History

The application of activated carbon in monosodium glutamate (MSG) enterprises has deepened with the increasing demands for MSG purity and stricter environmental standards:

1970s: Initial Stage Ajinomoto of Japan was the first to use wood-based powdered activated carbon (PAC, 100 mesh) to treat glutamic acid fermentation broth (containing 500 mg/L of melanoidins). Through adsorption-filtration, the color was reduced from "light gray" to "white," becoming the world's first case of using activated carbon to improve the color of MSG.

2020s: Intelligent Stage China's "14th Five-Year Plan for Food Industry Development" requires "MSG mother liquor reuse rate ≥ 50%." Activated carbon, combined with an "online color value monitoring + automatic dosing" system, achieves precise decolorization (e.g., automatically adjusting the PAC dosage based on the melanoidin concentration in the fermentation broth), reducing operating costs by 25%.

V. Mechanism of Action

Activated carbon solves the problems of "unacceptable color, insufficient purity, and difficult mother liquor treatment" in monosodium glutamate (MSG) through a triple action of "physical adsorption + chemical selectivity + pore size matching":

1. Physical Adsorption: "Targeted Sieving" of the Pore Structure

Mesopores (2-50nm): Accounting for 55% of the total pore volume (specifically designed for MSG molecules), it adsorbs medium-molecular-weight pigments (melanin-like pigments ≈ 0.8nm, caramel color ≈ 0.7nm) through van der Waals forces, achieving an adsorption capacity of 300-500mg pigment/g activated carbon (twice that of ordinary activated carbon), with an adsorption loss rate of <5% for MSG (≈0.6nm) (avoiding "over-adsorption" in traditional processes).

Micropores (<2nm): Serving as a "deep purification channel," it adsorbs small-molecule organic matter (lactic acid ≈ 0.5nm), with a removal rate >95%.

Macropores (>50nm): Serving as an "inlet channel," it allows large-molecule suspended matter (>1μm) to enter the interior of the activated carbon, reducing the load on subsequent filtration.

2. Chemoselectivity: Precise Retention of Surface Functional Groups

The oxygen-containing functional groups (carboxyl-COOH, hydroxyl-OH) on the surface of activated carbon repel monosodium glutamate (MSG) ions (Glu⁻≈0.6nm) through electrostatic repulsion, preventing adsorption and ensuring an MSG retention rate >95% (compared to only 85% by traditional ion exchange methods).

3. Synergistic Regeneration: A Key Step in Cost Reduction

Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC): After mixing with mother liquor sludge, it is regenerated through high-temperature incineration (850℃), achieving a heat recovery rate >80%. The ash can be used as fertilizer raw material (nitrogen content ≥3%).

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC): Through steam regeneration (180-200℃, 0.3MPa), adsorbed pigments are desorbed into gaseous organic matter, which is then incinerated in a boiler (calorific value ≥15000kJ/kg). The regenerated carbon's adsorption capacity is restored to 85% of that of new carbon, at only 30% of the cost of new carbon.

VI. Application Methods

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) manufacturers employ a combined process of "fermentation broth decolorization (PAC) + extract purification (mesoporous GAC) + mother liquor treatment (PAC+GAC)," covering all scenarios of "color compliance, purity enhancement, and mother liquor compliance":

1. Fermentation Broth Decolorization: Food-grade PAC Adsorption

Applicable Scenario: Glutamic acid fermentation broth (containing melanoidins 300-1500 mg/L, caramel color 200-1000 mg/L, light gray color).

Process Steps: Fermentation broth → Add food-grade woody PAC (200 mesh, iodine value ≥1000 mg/g, ash content ≤3%) (50-100 mg/L) → Stir for 20 minutes → Plate and frame filtration (to remove PAC) → Fermentation broth Lovibond color value ≤3 (yellow), melanoidin removal rate >99%.

2. Extract Purification: Mesoporous GAC Fixed Bed

Applicable Scenarios: Glutamic acid extract (containing impurities of 5-20 mg/L protein, 10-50 mg/L lactic acid, monosodium glutamate purity 99.0%).

Process Steps:
Extract → Mesoporous granular activated carbon (GAC, Φ3-6 mm, mesoporous content 55%, iodine value ≥900 mg/g) fixed bed → Flow rate 5-10 m/h, contact time 20-30 minutes → Discharge monosodium glutamate purity >99.5% (impurities of protein <1 mg/L, lactic acid <1 mg/L).

3. Mother Liquor Treatment: PAC+GAC Combined Process

Applicable Scenarios: Monosodium glutamate mother liquor (COD 5000-20000 mg/L, color 1000-5000 times).

Process Steps: Mother liquor → Coagulation and sedimentation (PAC 50mg/L + PAM 2mg/L) → PAC adsorption tank (200 mesh, 100mg/L) → GAC fixed bed (Φ3-6mm, mesoporous ratio 55%) → Effluent COD < 100mg/L, color < 50 times.

VII. Application Process

Taking a monosodium glutamate (MSG) factory (annual production of 50,000 tons of MSG, fermentation broth containing 800mg/L of melanoidins, MSG purity of 99.0% in the extract, and mother liquor COD 12000mg/L) as an example:

Fermentation broth decolorization: Glutamic acid fermentation broth → Add food-grade woody PAC (200 mesh, 50mg/L) → Stir for 20 minutes → Plate and frame filter press → Fermentation broth Lovibond color value 2 (yellow), melanoidins < 5mg/L.

Extraction purification: Fermentation broth → Isoelectric point extraction → Extract → Mesoporous GAC fixed bed (2 units, 10 tons of char per unit, Φ3-6mm) → Flow rate 8m/h, contact time 25 minutes → Discharge monosodium glutamate purity 99.6% (impurity protein <0.5mg/L).

Refining and drying: Purified liquid → Neutralization (adjust pH=7.0 with NaOH) → Concentration (65°Bé) → Crystallization → Drying → Monosodium glutamate (white color, conforming to GB 2720-2015 superior grade).

Mother liquor treatment: Mother liquor → Coagulation sedimentation tank (PAC 50mg/L + PAM 2mg/L) → PAC adsorption tank (100mg/L) → GAC fixed bed (2 units, 15 tons of char per unit) → Effluent COD <80mg/L, color <40 times → Discharge/reuse (reuse rate 40%). Regeneration and Reuse:

GAC saturation → Steam regeneration furnace (180℃, 0.3MPa) → Desorption gas sent to boiler for incineration → Regenerated char returned to fixed bed.

PAC sludge → Plate and frame filter press (60% moisture content) → High-temperature incinerator (850℃) → Ash residue to organic fertilizer (3% nitrogen content).

VIII. Application Effects

After the renovation of a monosodium glutamate (MSG) plant, core indicators significantly improved (based on actual operating data from a Shanxi Xinhua Charcoal Technology partner):

Indicators	Before modification (ion exchange method)	After modification (PAC + GAC with central hole)	Increase/Decrease:	Compliance Status:
Fermentation broth Lovibond color value (yellow)	8	2	Decrease by 75%	Complies with GB 2720-2015 Superior Grade
Monosodium glutamate purity (%)	99.0	99.6	Decrease by 0.6%	Complies with EU EC 1333/2008
Mother liquor COD (mg/L)	12000	＜80	Decrease by 0.6%	Complies with GB 19431-2004
Percentage of high-end products (%)	15	55	Decrease by 266.7%	—
Annual purification cost (ten thousand yuan)	200	70	Decrease by 65%	—
​​​​​​​Annual environmental fine (ten thousand yuan)	25	0	Decrease by 100%	—

IX. Core Advantages

Our customized solutions for MSG companies possess four irreplaceable advantages:
Highly Targeted Products, Matching MSG Characteristics: Our food-grade woody PAC (200 mesh, iodine value ≥1000mg/g) is specifically designed to adsorb melanin and caramel color, achieving a pigment removal rate >99%; our mesoporous GAC (55% mesoporous content) is specifically designed to purify monosodium glutamate, with an adsorption loss rate <5% and purity increased to >99.5%—after using this solution, a MSG company, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Charcoal Technology, saw its color compliance rate increase from 60% to 99%.

Improved Purity, Breaking into the High-End Market: Through "pore size matching adsorption," the mesoporous GAC increases the purity of monosodium glutamate from 99.0% to 99.6%. After using this solution, a MSG factory, a client of Shanxi Xinhua Charcoal Technology, saw its high-end product exports increase from 5 tons/month to 20 tons/month, entering the EU market.

 Compliant and Reliable, Fully Certified: Products meet GB 29215-2012 "Food Additives - Activated Carbon", FDA 21 CFR Part 178.3520, and EU EC 1333/2008 certifications, fully complying with global MSG industry standards.

Controllable Costs, High Cost-Effectiveness Throughout the Product Lifecycle: Mesoporous

• GAC: Regenerable 3-5 times (regeneration cost is 30% of new carbon), initial investment only 800,000-1,500,000 RMB/50,000 tons annual capacity;
• PAC+GAC Mother Liquor Process: Operating cost 0.8-1.5 RMB/ton fermentation broth (1/3 of ion exchange method), annual purification cost reduced by 65% ​​(e.g., a certain plant saves 1.3 million RMB annually).

X. Cost Analysis

A cost comparison between activated carbon process and traditional process, using a 50,000-ton/year monosodium glutamate (MSG) plant as an example: 

Project	PAC+Middle Hole GAC Process	Ion exchange method + biochemical process
Initial Investment (RMB 10,000)	100-180	150-250
Operating Cost (RMB/ton of fermentation broth)	0.8-1.5	2.5-3.0
Maintenance Cost (RMB 10,000/year)	15-30	50-80
Total Life Cycle Cost (RMB/ton of fermentation broth)	1.5-2.5	4.0-5.0
Premium for High-End Products (RMB 10,000/year)	150-200	0

XI. Why Choose Us?

Our activated carbon has received unanimous praise for its "meeting color standards and improved purity"—a monosodium glutamate (MSG) factory, a partner of Shanxi Xinhua Carbon Technology, saw its MSG purity increase from 99.0% to 99.6% and the proportion of high-end products rise from 15% to 55% after using our PAC+mesoporous GAC.

Technical Strength: We optimize the pore structure for MSG molecules (≈0.6nm), developing "GAC with 55% mesoporous content" and "food-grade woody PAC," achieving an MSG adsorption loss rate of <5%, solving the pain point of "over-adsorption" in traditional processes.

Global Service: With production bases in Shanxi, Ningxia, and Fujian (annual capacity of 45,000 tons), we support "customized production + localized delivery"—for overseas clients, we provide a full-process service including "activated carbon selection + process design + compliance certification," ensuring a response time of 72 hours.