Method for producing 1,3-propanediol using crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production

• US 20100028965A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Liu, hongjuan, Liu, Dehua, Sun, Yan, Lin, Rihui, Hao, Jian
• Granted Patent: US 8,486,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/158
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/32 Processes using, or culture media containing, lower alkanols, i.e. C1 to C6
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/18 polyhydric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for producing 1,3-propanediol, comprising the steps of: using crude glycerol, a by-product during the biodiesel production, without further treatment, as the substrate for production of 1,3-propanediol; inoculating a 1,3-propanediol-producing strain in a seed medium containing crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production; adding the seed culture into a fermentation medium containing crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production, and fermenting; maintaining pH in a range of 6.8 to 8.0; and in the end of the fermentation, isolating and purifying 1,3-propanediol.

Claims

1. A method of 1,3-propanediol production using crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production, comprising the following steps:

(a) inoculating a 1,3-propanediol-producing bacterial strain in a seed culture medium containing crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production,

(b) adding the seed culture to a fermentation medium containing crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production, and fermenting, and

(c) isolating and purifying 1,3-propanediol.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the crude glycerol from biodiesel production is crude glycerol, a by-product produced in the biodiesel production.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the 1,3-propanediol-producing bacterial strain in step (a) is selected from the group consisting of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium pasteurianum.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that in step (a) the bacterial strain is cultured at 30°

C. to 37°

C. for 16 to 20 hours.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fermentation medium in step (b) contains 10 to 30 g/L of crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pH during the fermentation in step (b) is kept in a range of 6.8 to 8.0.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the pH is maintained by using a 3 to 4 M of alkaline solution or ammonia.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fermentation in step (b) is performed under anaerobic or aerobic condition at 30°

C. to 37°

C.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in step (b) crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production, or the mixture of the crude glycerol and glucose is fed and the concentration of the glycerol in the fermentation broth is maintain at 10 to 40 g/L.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the concentration ratio of the glycerol to glucose in the mixture is 5˜

10;

1

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the 1,3-propanediol is isolated and purified by desalination, distillation and vacuum rectification.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that co-products 2,3-butanediol, lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol or succinic acid are produced.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that crude glycerol, a by-product produced in the production of biodiesel, without any further treatment, is fed as feeding substrate during fed-batch fermentation.

14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate crude glycerol for fermentation production of 1,3-propanediol is crude glycerol, which is a by-product produced in biodiesel production with chemical method, biological method or supercritical method, which has not been further treated.

15. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that crude glycerol, a by-product from the biodiesel production, is used as the substrate for the fermentation production of 1,3-propanediol, comprising the steps of:

(a) inoculating a strain selected from the group consisting of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium pasteurianum into the seed medium containing crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production, and incubating at 30°

C. to 37°

C. for 16 h to 20 h,

(b) adding the seed culture to a fermentation medium containing crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production, and incubating at 30°

C. to 37°

C. for anaerobic or aerobic fermentation, wherein the crude glycerol or a mixture of the crude glycerol and glucose is fed and the concentration of glycerol in the fermentation broth is maintained at 10□

40 g/L, wherein the concentration ratio of glycerol to glucose in the mixture is 5□

10;

1, and alkaline solutions or ammonia of 3 to 4M are used to maintain pH in a range of 6.8 to 8.0,

(c) after fermentation, isolating and purifying 1,3-propanediol by desalination, distillation and vacuum rectification, and preferably obtaining other by-products such as 2,3-butyleneglycol, lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol or succinic acid.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that crude glycerol, a by-product from biodiesel production, is fed as feeding substrate during fed-batch fermentation.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that the fermentation substrate for production of 1,3-propanediol is crude glycerol, which is a by-product from the biodiesel production with chemical method, biological method or supercritical method.