Production, formulation and cost estimation of a commercial biosurfactant

Due to their amphipathic nature, biosurfactants are multifunctional molecules that have considerable potential in several industries, especially the petroleum industry. In this study, the commercial production of a biosurfactant from Pseudomonas cepacia CCT6659 grown on industrial waste was investigated in a semi-industrial 50-L bioreactor for use in the removal of hydrocarbons from oily effluents. A concentration of 40.5 g/L was achieved in the scale up and the surface tension was reduced to 29 mN/m. The biosurfactant was formulated with an added preservative, tyndallization and the combination of fluent vaporization plus the preservative. Formulated biosurfactant samples were stored for 120 days. Tensioactive properties and stability were evaluated with different pH values, temperatures and salt concentrations. The commercial biosurfactant obtained with all formulation methods demonstrated good stability, with tolerance to a wide range of pH values as well as high temperature and high salinity, enabling application in extreme environmental conditions, as it occurs in industrial plants. The biosurfactant proved to be economically viable for large-scale application, as demonstrated by the cost of the product, estimated at around US$ 0.14-0.15/L and US$ 0.02/g for the formulated and the isolated biosurfactant, respectively. Both products were applied in an oil-fired thermoelectric plant for the treatment of oily effluents and removed up to 100% of the oil. Therefore, this biosurfactant is suitable for application under extreme conditions, such as in the petroleum industry, and can be produced at a more attractive price compared to other commercially available products on the market.