Environmental life cycle comparison of polyhydroxyalkanoates produced from renewable carbon resources by bacterial fermentation

摘要

Large-scale fermentative production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-5mol% 3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-5mol% 3HHx)] from soybean oil as sole carbon source is simulated using a recombinant strain of Ralstonia eutropha harboring a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene from Aeromonas caviae. Its production costs, life cycle inventories (LCI) of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions from the cradle-to-factory gate are calculated and compared with the counterparts for microbial production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] from glucose as sole carbon source. In addition, the values of bio-based polymers are compared with those of petrochemical polymers. Annual production of 5000 tonnes of P(3HB-co-5mol% 3HHx) is estimated to cost from 3.5 to 4.5 US