TY - JOUR
T1 - Biocatalytic Production of 2-α- d -Glucosyl-glycerol for Functional Ingredient Use
T2 - Integrated Process Design and Techno-Economic Assessment
AU - Kruschitz, Andreas
AU - Nidetzky, Bernd
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/1/24
Y1 - 2022/1/24
N2 - Advanced biomanufacturing builds on production processes that are both profitable and sustainable. Integrated design of process unit operations, geared to output efficiency and waste minimization and guided by a rigorous techno-economic assessment, is essential for development aligned to these central aims. Here, we demonstrate such a development for the biocatalytic production of the biological extremolyte 2-O-α-d-glucosyl-glycerol (2-GG) for functional ingredient application. The process was aligned in scale over all steps (∼180 g product; ∼2.5 L reaction mixture) and involved continuous enzymatic synthesis from sucrose and glycerol interlinked with reactive extraction and nanofiltration for product isolation (purity of ∼80 wt %) and side stream recovery. Glycerol used in ∼6-fold excess over sucrose was recycled, and hydrothermal conversion into 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural was evaluated for the fructose by-product released from sucrose. Based on a process mass intensity (total mass input/mass product) of 146, ∼80% of the total mass input was utilized and an E-factor (mass waste/mass product) of 28 was obtained. EcoScale analysis revealed a penalty point score of 44, suggesting an acceptable process from a sustainability point of view. Process simulation for an annual production of 10 tons 2-GG was used for the techno-economic assessment with discounted cash flow analysis. The calculated operating costs involved 35 and 47% contributions from materials and labor, respectively. About 91% of the material costs were due to chemicals for the reactive extraction-acidic stripping step, emphasizing the importance of material reuse at this step. Glycerol recycling involved a trade-off between waste reduction and energy use for the removal of water. Collectively, the study identifies options and boundaries of a profitable 2-GG process. The minimum selling price for 2-GG was calculated as ∼240 € kg-1 or smaller. The framework of the methodology presented can be generally important in applied bio-catalysis: it facilitates closing of the gap between process design and implementation for accelerated development.
AB - Advanced biomanufacturing builds on production processes that are both profitable and sustainable. Integrated design of process unit operations, geared to output efficiency and waste minimization and guided by a rigorous techno-economic assessment, is essential for development aligned to these central aims. Here, we demonstrate such a development for the biocatalytic production of the biological extremolyte 2-O-α-d-glucosyl-glycerol (2-GG) for functional ingredient application. The process was aligned in scale over all steps (∼180 g product; ∼2.5 L reaction mixture) and involved continuous enzymatic synthesis from sucrose and glycerol interlinked with reactive extraction and nanofiltration for product isolation (purity of ∼80 wt %) and side stream recovery. Glycerol used in ∼6-fold excess over sucrose was recycled, and hydrothermal conversion into 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural was evaluated for the fructose by-product released from sucrose. Based on a process mass intensity (total mass input/mass product) of 146, ∼80% of the total mass input was utilized and an E-factor (mass waste/mass product) of 28 was obtained. EcoScale analysis revealed a penalty point score of 44, suggesting an acceptable process from a sustainability point of view. Process simulation for an annual production of 10 tons 2-GG was used for the techno-economic assessment with discounted cash flow analysis. The calculated operating costs involved 35 and 47% contributions from materials and labor, respectively. About 91% of the material costs were due to chemicals for the reactive extraction-acidic stripping step, emphasizing the importance of material reuse at this step. Glycerol recycling involved a trade-off between waste reduction and energy use for the removal of water. Collectively, the study identifies options and boundaries of a profitable 2-GG process. The minimum selling price for 2-GG was calculated as ∼240 € kg-1 or smaller. The framework of the methodology presented can be generally important in applied bio-catalysis: it facilitates closing of the gap between process design and implementation for accelerated development.
KW - 2-α- d -glucosyl-glycerol
KW - advanced biomanufacturing
KW - integrated process design
KW - sucrose phosphorylase
KW - techno-economic assessment
KW - waste prevention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85123379133&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c07210
DO - 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c07210
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85123379133
SN - 2168-0485
VL - 10
SP - 1246
EP - 1255
JO - ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
JF - ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
IS - 3
ER -