微生物转化甘油生产1,3-丙二醇的研究进展

甘油是油裂解和生物柴油生产过程中的主要副产物,生物柴油市场的蓬勃发展将会造成甘油价格的下降。这些甘油-水混合物不用再次处理就可以直接用于微生物发酵。在众多甘油的利用当中,附加值最高的应该是1,3-丙二醇(PDO),利用甘油在厌氧条件下发酵生产PDO与传统工艺相比产物浓度从70～80g/L提高到了100g/L,而且如果用固定化细胞发酵,产率可以从2g/(L·h)提高到30g/(L·h)。综述了微生物转化甘油为1,3-丙二醇的研究进展。     

1,3-丙二醇发酵过程中底物抑制及其对策的研究

研究了底物甘油浓度对Klebsiellapneumoniae发酵生产 1 ,3 丙二醇的影响 ,并通过实验确定了最佳的初始甘油浓度和甘油开始对产物生成产生抑制作用的浓度。针对底物抑制现象 ,提出了菌种驯化和流加甘油发酵两种解决途径。结果表明 :采用原始菌株发酵 ,适宜的甘油初始浓度为 642 .4mmol/L ,此时 1 ,3 丙二醇浓度和转化率分别可达 2 60mmol/L和 0 .492mol/mol;在较高甘油初始浓度 (789mmol/L)的情况下 ,经驯化培养获得的耐底物抑制菌株 ,可将最终 1 ,3 丙二醇浓度和转化率分别提高到 30 0 .9mmol/L和 0 .530mol/mol;采用流加甘油发酵工艺 ,1 ,3 丙二醇浓度和转化率分别可提高到 397.7mmol/L和 0 .62 5mol/mol。     

Granulation of sludge under different loads of a glycerol fraction from biodiesel production

The aim of the research was to evaluate the possibility of using the crude glycerol fraction from biodiesel manufacturing processes for granular sludge production. The experiment was carried out simultaneously in four sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) at different carbon loads: 0.2 ± 0.08, 0.6 ± 0.16, 1.1 ± 0.27, and 1.3 ± 0.35 g COD/g TSS per cycle (COD – chemical oxygen demand, TSS – total suspended solids). Granulation did not occur in the reactor with the lowest organic carbon load. In the remaining reactors small granules began to appear after 25 cycles of reactor operation. In all reactors the efficiency of carbon removal remained at ca. 80%. The highest granular sludge production per cycle was 0.31 ± 0.28 g TSS/L; it was obtained at an organic load of 1.1 ± 0.27 g COD/g TSS per cycle. Most of the introduced COD was removed in the reactors during the first 5 h of aeration; the COD removal rate was correlated with the organic load and varied from 123.12 to 472.76 mg COD per litre and hour. Practical applications: With the increasing production of biodiesel fuel a problem arises with the utilization of glycerol that is a by‐product of the process. By‐product glycerol fraction from small agricultural installations is usually contaminated. Its composition varies depending on parameters of the transesterification process and it is unprofitable to purify it. In the present research we investigated one possible way of dealing with the by‐product. The glycerol fraction was successfully used as a carbon source for the production of aerobic granular sludge. The granules obtained can be used as a seed sludge in granule‐based reactors, or can be cofired with coal or directly combusted. Since aerobic granular sludge is one of the most promising technologies investigated during the last few years it appears to possess high utility.     

Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Butanol from Dilute Aqueous Solutions Using Soybean-Derived Biodiesel

Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) of mixtures of butanol, 1,3-propanediol (PDO), and ethanol was performed using soybean-derived biodiesel as the extractant. The composition of the mixtures simulated the product of the anaerobic fermentation of biodiesel-derived crude glycerol, which has recently been reported for the first time by the authors. Using a biodiesel: with an aqueous phase volume ratio of 1:1, butanol recovery ranged from 45 to 51% at initial butanol concentrations of 150 and 225 mM, respectively. Less than 10% of the ethanol was extracted, and essentially no PDO was extracted. The partition coefficient for butanol in biodiesel was determined to be 0.91 ± 0.097. This partition coefficient is less than that of oleyl alcohol, which is considered the standard for LLE. However, butanol is suitable for blending with biodiesel, which would eliminate the need for separating the butanol after extraction. Additionally, biodiesel is much less costly than oleyl alcohol. If biodiesel-derived glycerol is used as the feedstock for butanol production, and biodiesel is used as the extractant to recover butanol from the fermentation broth, production of a biodiesel/butanol fuel blend could be a fully integrated process within a biodiesel facility. This process could ultimately help reduce the cost of butanol separation and ultimately help improve the overall economics of butanol fermentation using renewable feedstocks.     

Production of organic solvent tolerant lipase by Staphylococcus caseolyticus EX17 using raw glycerol as substrate

BACKGROUND: In this work we used Plackett–Burman statistical design and central composite design in order to optimize culture conditions for lipase production by Staphylococcus caseolyticus strain EX17 growing on raw glycerol, which was obtained as a by‐product of the enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel. The stability of lipase was verified over several organic solvents, such as methanol, ethanol and n‐hexane. RESULTS: Optimal culture conditions for lipase production were found to be 36 °C, initial pH 8.12, glycerol 30 g L^?1, olive oil 3.0 g L^?1, and soybean oil 2.5 g L^?1, with 145.8 U L^?1 of enzyme activity. When commercial glycerol was substituted by the raw glycerol from biodiesel synthesis, lipolytic activity was 127.3 U L^?1. Experimental validation of enzyme production matched values predicted by the mathematical model, which was 138.3 U L^?1. Stability tests showed that lipase from S. caseolyticus EX17 was stable in methanol, ethanol, and n‐hexane. CONCLUSIONS: Results obtained in this work suggest that raw glycerol can be used for lipase production by S. caseolyticus EX17 and that this enzyme has a potential application in the synthesis of biodiesel. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

生物柴油副产物甘油的高附加值利用

生物柴油的生产过程中都会产生副产物甘油,随着生物柴油的规模化发展,副产物甘油的合理利用成为生物柴油产业发展的关键问题之一. 粗甘油的有效再利用有利于降低生物柴油的生产成本和解决环境污染问题. 粗甘油可以通过各种工艺路线转化为1,3-丙二醇、环氧氯丙烷、乳酸、聚羟基脂肪酸酯、氢、二羟基丙酮和1,2-丙二醇等具有市场前景的高附加值产品. 目前技术比较成熟并进入产业化阶段的粗甘油利用工艺路线是生物法生产1,3-丙二醇和化学法生产环氧氯丙烷,其他工艺路线多数还处在实验室研究阶段. 本文以粗甘油综合利用为中心对目前研究进展和产业现状进行了综述.     

氧对Klebsiella pneumoniae产1,3-丙二醇代谢的影响

考察了氧对Klebsiella pneumoniae发酵产1,3-丙二醇(PDO)代谢的影响. 研究结果表明,在厌氧或供氧条件下,K. pneumoniae都能利用甘油产PDO. 起始甘油浓度20 g/L,发酵时间4 h,在充分供氧条件下,PDO产量仅为1.1 mmol/L;但在微量供氧条件下,PDO产量为16 mmol/L,是厌氧发酵时的1.28倍. 在微量供氧条件下,调控PDO合成的关键酶甘油脱氢酶、甘油脱水酶及1,3-丙二醇氧化还原酶的活性分别为7.28, 1.14, 0.52 U/mg,高于厌氧或充分供氧条件下的相应酶活性. 氧对细胞内NADH的合成也有影响,厌氧及微量供氧条件下菌体内NADH含量分别为3.78及3.72 μmol/g (DCW),高于充分供氧发酵时的0.85 μmol/g (DCW).     

微生物发酵法生产1,3-丙二醇研究进展

综述了世界上微生物发酵法生产1,3-丙二醇(PDO)的发酵菌种、发酵工艺、基因工程产物的提取的研究进展,并介绍清华大学化工系在发酵法生产甘油专利技术的基础上,进一步开发了二步发酵由葡萄糖生产PDO的新工艺,并将电渗析脱盐技术引入了PDO的后提取工艺中。通过5000L发酵罐的中试实验表明,发酵液中PDO平均浓度可达62g/L,PDO对甘油摩尔得率0.6,后提取收率80%。     

Biobasiertes Glycerin – ein neuer Rohstoff für die chemische Industrie?

Glycerol that originates as a by‐product from the production of biodiesel is a bio‐based feedstock, which neither has the disadvantages of fossil resources nor can be used as food. It was studied in a life cycle assessment whether a use in the chemical industry leads to environmental advantages. The life cycle assessment of options of use of glycerol from the biodiesel production shows that a conventional material use without conversion is the environmentally most advantageous option. However, it is to be expected that not all glycerol can be used this way if the biodiesel production increases. In this case, innovative biotechnological conversions of glycerol to n‐butanol or 1,3‐propanediol as well as the use for energy production can be environmentally advantageous if especially the energy and resource efficiencies are further optimized.     

Lipase-Catalyzed Production of Biodiesel by Hydrolysis of Waste Cooking Oil Followed by Esterification of Free Fatty Acids

Biodiesel is conventionally produced by alkaline‐catalyzed transesterification, which requires high‐purity oils. However, low‐quality oils can be used as feedstocks for the production of biodiesel by enzyme‐catalyzed reactions. The use of enzymes has several advantages, such as the absence of saponification side reactions, production of high‐purity glycerol co‐product, and low‐cost downstream processing. In this work, biodiesel was produced from lipase‐catalyzed hydrolysis of waste cooking oil (WCO) followed by esterification of the hydrolyzed WCO (HWCO). The hydrolysis of acylglycerols was carried out at 30 °C in salt‐free water (WCO/water ratio of 1:4, v/v) and the esterification of HWCO was carried out at 40 °C with ethanol in a solvent‐free medium (HWCO/ethanol molar ratio of 1:7). The hydrolysis and esterification steps were carried out using immobilized Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL/WCO ratio of 1:5.6, w/w) and immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (10 wt%, CALB/HWCO) as biocatalysts, respectively. The hydrolysis of acylglycerols was almost complete after 12 h (ca. 94 %), and in the esterification step, the conversion was around 90 % after 6 h. The purified biodiesel had 91.8 wt% of fatty acid ethyl esters, 0.53 wt% of acylglycerols, 0.003 wt% of free glycerol, viscosity of 4.59 cP, and acid value of 10.88 mg KOH/g. Reuse hydrolysis and esterification assays showed that the immobilized enzymes could be recycled five times in 10‐h batches, under the conditions described above. TLL was greatly inactivated under the assay conditions, whereas CALB remained fully active. The results showed that WCO is a promising feedstock for use in the production of biodiesel.     

Sophorolipid biosynthesis from a biodiesel co-product stream

We applied a biodiesel co-product stream (BCS) as a fermentation feedstock for the microbial synthesis of sophorolipids (SL). The BCS was composed of 40% glycerol, 34% hexane-solubles (made up of 92% FA soaps/FAME and 6% MAG/DAG), and 26% water. Batch culture fermentations of the yeast Candida bombicola on pure glycerol resulted in low-level synthesis of SL (∼ g/L). HPLC associated with atmospheric pressure CI-MS (LC/APCI-MS) revealed that the SL derived from pure glycerol had 99% of the FA side chains linked to the 4″ hydroxyl group of the sophorose sugar, resulting in a lactonic structure. In contrast, the use of the BCS as feedstock increased the SL yield to 60 g/L and the open-chain form to 75% including both oleic acid and linoleic acid (along with their methyl esters) as the dominant species comprising the side chains. By favoring the open-chain structure, the SL molecules (particularly the FA side chain) can be chemically modified without the need to open a lactone ring first. The ability to use the BCS as a feedstock for SL synthesis will provide an outlet for this residual material, thus helping to stimulate growth in the biodiesel market and the use of agricultural fats and oils from which the biodiesel was synthesized.     

Biotechnological valorization of biodiesel derived glycerol waste through production of single cell oil and citric acid by Yarrowia lipolytica

Continuous energy crises and increasing demand for conventional fuels has resulted in the need for biofuels on a commercial scale. Transesterification of oils to yield biodiesel – one of the principal biofuels currently produced in large‐scale operations – is coupled with significant production of a glycerol‐rich water (so‐called “crude” or “raw” glycerol), as an important side‐product of the process. The increasing demand for biodiesel leads to abundant quantities of this glycerol‐rich material on the market. Therefore, glycerol valorization has much to offer in the cost reduction of biodiesel production. To this end, various chemical or biotechnological strategies have been developed to obtain added‐value products using crude glycerol as substrate. This review combines an account of our attempts to achieve a biotechnological valorization of raw glycerol with a review of appropriate literature.     

Prospects of non-catalytic supercritical methyl acetate process in biodiesel production

Conventional biodiesel production methods utilize alcohol as acyl acceptor and produces glycerol as side product. Hence, with escalating production of biodiesel throughout the world, it leads to oversupply of glycerol and subsequently causes devaluation in the market. In this study, methyl acetate was employed as acyl acceptor in non-catalytic supercritical methyl acetate (SCMA) process to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and side product of triacetin, a valuable fuel additive instead of glycerol. Consequently, the properties of biodiesel produced (FAME and triacetin) are superior compared to conventional biodiesel method (FAME only). In this research, the effects of reaction temperature, reaction time and molar ratio of methyl acetate to oil on the yield of biodiesel were investigated. Apart from that, the influence of impurities commonly found in waste oils/fats such as free fatty acids and water were studied as well and compared with methanol-based reactions of supercritical and heterogeneous catalysis. Results show that biodiesel yields in SCMA process could achieve 99 wt.% when the operating conditions were fixed at 400 °C/220 bar for reaction temperature, methyl acetate/oil molar ratio of 30:1 and 60 min of reaction time. Furthermore, SCMA did not suffer from adverse effect with the presence of impurities, proving that SCMA has a high tolerance towards contamination which is crucial to allow the utilization of inexpensive waste oils/fats as biodiesel feedstock.     

Glycerol‐Reforming Kinetics Using a Pt/C Catalyst

Catalytic steam reforming of glycerol, a by‐product in biodiesel production, represents an attractive route to hydrogen. For the first time, the kinetics of the glycerol steam reforming reaction over a Pt/C catalyst was considered. Kinetic data, i.e., glycerol conversion vs. space time, were obtained experimentally by using a fixed‐bed reactor and were analyzed by the integral method of analysis. It was found that in the studied ranges of temperature from 623 to 673 K and space time from 0.39 to 1.56 g h/mol the investigated reaction is of the first‐order with respect to glycerol. The specific reaction rate constant at 673 K was determined to be 1.1·10⁵ cm³/g_cat h. The values of glycerol conversion predicted by the first‐order kinetic model were in good agreement with those obtained experimentally. The increase in temperature, space time, and initial water/glycerol ratio caused the expected increase in hydrogen yield.     

Biohydrogen and Bioethanol Production from Biodiesel-Based Glycerol by Enterobacter aerogenes in a Continuous Stir Tank Reactor

Crude glycerol from the biodiesel manufacturing process is being produced in increasing quantities due to the expanding number of biodiesel plants. It has been previously shown that, in batch mode, semi-anaerobic fermentation of crude glycerol by Enterobacter aerogenes can produce biohydrogen and bioethanol simultaneously. The present study demonstrated the possible scaling-up of this process from small batches performed in small bottles to a 3.6-L continuous stir tank reactor (CSTR). Fresh feed rate, liquid recycling, pH, mixing speed, glycerol concentration, and waste recycling were optimized for biohydrogen and bioethanol production. Results confirmed that E. aerogenes uses small amounts of oxygen under semi-anaerobic conditions for growth before using oxygen from decomposable salts, mainly NH₄NO₃, under anaerobic condition to produce hydrogen and ethanol. The optimal conditions were determined to be 500 rpm, pH 6.4, 18.5 g/L crude glycerol (15 g/L glycerol) and 33% liquid recycling for a fresh feed rate of 0.44 mL/min. Using these optimized conditions, the process ran at a lower media cost than previous studies, was stable after 7 days without further inoculation and resulted in yields of 0.86 mol H₂/mol glycerol and 0.75 mol ethanol/mole glycerol.     

Production of biodiesel with glycerol carbonate by non‐catalytic supercritical dimethyl carbonate

New biodiesel production processes comprising one‐step and two‐step supercritical dimethyl carbonate methods have been pioneered. The use of dimethyl carbonate allows the reaction conditions to be mild and thus avoid unwanted deterioration of substrates during reaction. In this process, without any catalyst applied, supercritical dimethyl carbonate converts triglycerides (rapeseed oil) into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) along with glycerol carbonate as a value‐added by‐product, instead of glycerol. Free fatty acids could be also converted into FAME so that the total yield of biodiesel for both methods resulted in over 96 wt%. In addition, the produced FAME satisfy the fuel requirements for the international standards of biodiesel specification.     

Lipase‐catalyzed transesterification to remove saturated MAG from biodiesel

Saturated MAG (SMG) are known to be present in FAME intended to be used as biodiesel. These SMG can strongly affect the properties of biofuels such as the cloud point (CP), and they have been implicated in engine failure due to filter plugging. It is shown here that lipase G from Penicillium camemberti can be efficiently used for the transesterification of SMG to fatty acid methyl ester and glycerol even in the presence of the bulk biodiesel. Thus, in samples of commercial biodiesel to which glycerol monostearate (GMS) and glycerol monopalmitate (GMP) had been added, their levels were enzymatically reduced from 2% (w/v) to 0.22% (w/v) for GMP and 0.14% (w/v) for GMS as confirmed by GC‐MS analysis. Practical applications: SMG present in biodiesel can have a pronounced negative effect on the CP, and/or filterability and in‐field performance of the fuel. The lipase‐catalyzed transesterification shown in this paper enables a significant reduction in the amount of SMG, leading to superior biodiesel quality.     

Glycerol as a platform chemical: Sweet opportunities on the horizon?

Increased global production of biodiesel since the late‐1990s has created an abundance of crude glycerin that has significantly impacted the glycerin market resulting in a decline in glycerin pricing. Because the economic viability of the biodiesel and oleochemical industries are closely linked to glycerol, the deterioration of glycerol prices negatively affects the cost of materials derived from these industries. Although glycerol has many commercial uses, these markets are generally considered mature making it difficult to absorb the glycerin surpluses. The increasing abundance of glycerin, its renewability, and attractive pricing make glycerol (80% crude glycerin spot price December 2005; US $ = 0.12/lb ($264/tonne), Euro = 140/tonne) an appealing platform chemical to derive a family of commercially valued compounds. To this end, new chemistry to convert glycerol into high volume value‐added products is being developed. This article gives a brief historical background of glycerol and examines recent technological developments to exploit glycerol as a versatile primary chemical building block in an effort to expand glycerol applications and utilize surplus stockpiles of glycerin.     

Bacterial Cellulose Production from Industrial Waste and by-Product Streams

The utilization of fermentation media derived from waste and by-product streams from biodiesel and confectionery industries could lead to highly efficient production of bacterial cellulose. Batch fermentations with the bacterial strain Komagataeibacter sucrofermentans DSM (Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen) 15973 were initially carried out in synthetic media using commercial sugars and crude glycerol. The highest bacterial cellulose concentration was achieved when crude glycerol (3.2 g/L) and commercial sucrose (4.9 g/L) were used. The combination of crude glycerol and sunflower meal hydrolysates as the sole fermentation media resulted in bacterial cellulose production of 13.3 g/L. Similar results (13 g/L) were obtained when flour-rich hydrolysates produced from confectionery industry waste streams were used. The properties of bacterial celluloses developed when different fermentation media were used showed water holding capacities of 102–138 g·water/g·dry bacterial cellulose, viscosities of 4.7–9.3 dL/g, degree of polymerization of 1889.1–2672.8, stress at break of 72.3–139.5 MPa and Young’s modulus of 0.97–1.64 GPa. This study demonstrated that by-product streams from the biodiesel industry and waste streams from confectionery industries could be used as the sole sources of nutrients for the production of bacterial cellulose with similar properties as those produced with commercial sources of nutrients.     

Arachidonic acid synthesis by glycerol‐grown Mortierella alpina

Microbiological production of physiologically active AA usually used carbohydrates as substrates. Recently, glycerol attracted attention as a promising renewable substrate for biotechnological industry. The effect of pure glycerol on the growth, lipid synthesis, and AA production by earlier selected Mortierella alpina strains LPM‐301 and NRRL‐A‐10995 was studied. It was shown that AA amount varied from 22–29 to 63–68% of lipid in dependence on the initial glycerol concentration in the medium. The transition from glycerol‐ to nitrogen limitation of the growth was accompanied by a reverse correlation between lipid content of biomass and AA level of lipid. Under selected optimal conditions (nitrogen limitation of fungal growth at glycerol concentrations of 75–81 g/L), AA production by 14‐day cultures reached 40–43% of lipid and 11–13% of biomass indicating that glycerol can be successfully used as a carbon substrate for AA production. Practical applications: AA has found wide application in medicine, pharmacology, diet, and infant nutrition as a precursor of several key eicosanoid hormones and pharmacologically active metabolites. It can also be used in agriculture as an elicitor of plant resistance to phytopathogens. Microbiological processes for AA production usually used carbohydrate substrates. Results of this study indicate that AA can be produced from glycerol, which is known as a promising renewable carbon substrate. Under selected optimal conditions (nitrogen limitation of fungal growth at glycerol concentrations of 75–81 g/L), AA production by Mortierella alpina strains LPM‐301 and NRRL‐A‐10995 reached 40–43% of lipid and 11–13% of biomass. These values are comparable with those obtained for carbohydrate‐grown Mortierella fungi.