Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis based on glycerol and implementation of the process under conditions of pilot production

Abstract

The present study addresses the synthesis and properties of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) of different composition synthesized by Cupriavidus eutrophus B-10646 using glycerol as a carbon substrate. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] was effectively synthesized in fed-batch culture in a 30-L fermenter on glycerol of various purification degrees, with 99.5, 99.7, and 82.1% content of the main component. Purified glycerol (99.7%) was used for 150-L pilot scale fermentation. The total biomass and P(3HB) concentration reached 110 and 85.8 g/L, respectively, after 45 h of fed-batch fermentation. An average volumetric productivity of P(3HB) was 1.83 g/(L h). The degree of crystallinity and molecular weight of P(3HB) synthesized on glycerol were lower than and temperature characteristics were the same as those of P(3HB) synthesized on sugars.