Efficient fermentative production of 1,3 propanediol from industrial waste glycerol and soil based bacterial innocula

摘要

Given the imminent depletion of fossil fuels, the impact that current petroleum based processes have on the environment and driven by the idea of sustainability, the chemical industry has begun to envision a paradigm shift to renewable feedstock’s and a carbohydrate rather than a hydrocarbon economy. This has led to an estimated $2.4 billion global market for biorenewable chemicals with a projected compounded average growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. The bio renewable chemicals industry is expected to reach $6.8Bn by 2015 and a CAGR of 22.8% as it awaits the advent of bioethylene. Currently, glycerin and lactic acid account for the bulk (79%) of the biorenewables as the platform chemicals. Among biorenewable chemicals, the market for intermediates such as 1,3 propanediol is still nascent and accounts for $575 million worldwide. The ever increasing demand for fuel has made the biodiesel industry an attractive alternative energy source. However this leads, simultaneously, to a huge production of glycerol, which though not hazardous per se, has been described as the wastebasket of the biodiesel process.. The production of 5 – 10 gallons of crude glycerol for every 100 gallons of biodiesel has led to a current glycerol production of ～2Bn pounds by the US biodiesel industry, in addition to ～560 MT pounds of glycerol emanating annually from non biodiesel sources. The bio-fermentation of crude glycerol to 1, 3-propanediol as a value added product gives a recourse to capitalizing on the current over capacity of glycerol. The differential in the price between glycerol and 1,3 propanediol ($25/gall – bulk) makes this an attractive economic production proposition for 1,3 propanediol as it does to improve the economic viability of biodiesel production.