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Holistic Approach to Process Design and Scale-Up for Itaconic Acid Production from Crude Substrates
Katharina Maria Saur1, Robert Kiefel1, Paul-Joachim Niehoff2
1Fluid Process Engineering (AVT.FVT), RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 28, 2023
Summary
Developing bio-based itaconic acid production using sugar beet thick juice requires optimizing fermentation and purification. Process economics are driven by product yield, necessitating careful alignment of pH-adjusting agents and decolorization steps for cost-effective biorefining.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Biochemical Engineering
- Industrial Microbiology
Background:
- Bio-based bulk chemicals face economic challenges competing with fossil-based counterparts.
- Utilizing crude substrates in biorefineries can improve economic feasibility but presents purification challenges.
- Impurities in crude substrates necessitate interdisciplinary research for effective biorefinery process development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a holistic approach to biorefinery process development using itaconic acid production from sugar beet thick juice.
- To guide the simultaneous development of upstream and downstream processes up to a 100 L scale.
- To analyze the techno-economic feasibility of using crude substrates for itaconic acid production.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual process design integrating data from artificial solutions and literature.
- Fermentation development using *Ustilago* sp. on thick juice, adapting feeding profiles from glucose-based processes.
- Downstream processing development including decolorization and pH-adjusting agent optimization.
- Techno-economic analysis to identify cost drivers and economic leverage points.
Main Results:
- Fermentation was successfully transferred from glucose to thick juice by adjusting the feeding profile.
- An additional decolorization step was required in downstream processing due to impurities in the crude substrate.
- Increased use of pH-adjusting agents was observed compared to initial process simulations.
- Product yield was identified as the primary driver of process economics, with substrate consumption being the main cost factor.
Conclusions:
- A holistic approach enables the development of biorefinery processes using crude substrates.
- Aligning pH-adjusting agents between fermentation and downstream processing is crucial for efficient itaconic acid recovery.
- Optimizing product yield is key to improving the economic viability of bio-based carboxylic acid production.
