Hydroxy acids from sugars
10.12.2010 FuBio 2 workshop
Group work results
FuBio and a Finnish bio-economy
“Wood health”
(with Salwe Oy)
FuBio 2
“Wood energy”
(with Cleen Oy)
“Wood products”
(with FWR Oy)
Building blocks
of the Finnish
bio-economy
Production of hydroxy acids
and products thereof
Joint research 1
Products from dissolved
cellulose
Joint research 2
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
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End products (incl. purity)
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No sense to start R&D for production of lactic, succinic,
itaconic, fumaric and malic acid  technologies to produce
these are already at pilot or commercial scale
Glycolic acid; Merja Penttilä: Glycolic acid is, yet, fairly easy in
respect to IPR; Mika Härkönen: Interesting polymer
properties; Glyoxylate: perhaps interesting for dissolution of
cellulose
Itaconic acid; perhaps from other sugars (not glucose)
3-Hydroxy butyrate (hydroxy valerate): LAB-based technology
available through Aalto;
Hemi-based sugar acids: biotech-technology for xylonic acid
developed at VTT, also other similar sugar acids (done within
CoE White Biotech-Green Chemistry); Catalytic routes will be
studied at University of Helsinki (Leskelä).
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Routes to glycolic acid
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Possibilities:
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Fermentation from C5 or C6
Enzymatic?
Acetic acid  chloroacetic acid 
Acetylene  trichloroethylene 
Fermentation:
– Bacterium; Con: not acid tolerant  product as salt; Roquette &
Metabolic Explorer working on this topic
– Yeast; pH can go down to app 2; Innovation notification in FuBio 1
– Mould ; pH can go down to app 2; Also studied in FuBio 1
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GA: Raw materials
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C5 and C6 sugars can be used
Yeast and mould can ferment most C5 and C6 (S. cerevisiae
ferment only C6)
Industrial sources:
– Molasses (until lignocellulose technology is ready); crystalline
sugar at app. 0.4 EUR/kg; molasses should be a little cheaper
– FibreEtOH (mainly cellulose, i.e. C6, some C5)
– Joint research 2 PHWE R&D
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GA: Purification & by-products
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If molasses: cells, GA, Na-GA, residual nutrients, acetic acid?
Step 1: solid-liquid separation
Step 1: Esterification, distillation, etc.
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GA: Competences
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In Finland
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Metabolic engineering (VTT)
Enzymology (UEF, VTT)
Fermentation processes (VTT, Aalto, Oulu)
DSP (VTT, Oulu, JY, Danisco/Finex, LUT)
Lacking competences
– ??
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Routes to 3-hydroxy butyrate
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Possibilities:
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Fermentation from C5 or C6
Enzymatic?
X?
X?
Fermentation:
– Bacterium; Several bacteria; Aalto LAB-technology a new
approach
– Yeast; some groups active
– Mould; ?
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HB: Raw materials
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C5 and C6 sugars can be used (bacteria)
Industrial sources:
– Molasses (until lignocellulose technology is ready)
– FibreEtOH (mainly cellulose, some C5)
– Joint research 2 PHWE R&D
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HB: Purification & by-products
•
•
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If molasses: cells, HB, Na-HB, nutrients, actetic acid?
Step 1: solid-liquid separation
Step 1: Esterification, distillation, etc.
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HB: Competences
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In Finland
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Metabolic engineering (VTT; Aalto)
Enzymology (UEF, VTT)
Fermentation processes (VTT, Aalto, OY)
DSP (VTT, OY, JY, Danisco/Finex, LUT)
Lacking competences
– ??
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