The ANIMPOL Project: From Animal Waste to PHA-Bioplastics

Graz University of Technology, Austria Institute of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering

Martin Koller, Anna Salerno, Alexander Muhr, Angelika Reiterer, Heidemarie Malli, Karin Malli, Gerhart Braunegg

October 24th to 25th, 2011, Bologna

Content of the Presentation Objectives and Significance of ANIMPOL The „Plastic Situation“ today PHA Biopolyesters as a sustainable solution Potential Applications of PHAs The Structure of the ANIMPOL Project The Project Consortium Industrial Involvement in ANIMPOL Raw Materials Available for the Process Example of the Outcomings Expected Final Outcomings and Outlook

Objectives of ANIMPOL

The project ANIMPOL (»Biotechnological conversion of carbon containing wastes for eco-efficient production of high added value products«) utilises:

waste streams from slaughterhouses, the animal rendering industry and waste fractions from conventional biodiesel manufacture for the

production of improved biodiesel (fatty acid esters, FAE) and high-value biodegradable polymeric materials (polyhydroxyalkanoates, PHA).

Nowadays, we live in the „Plastic Age“…

100 million tons

(total)

1,5 million tons (total)

250 million tons (only fossil resources)

60 years ago 20 years ago 2010

Quantities of Utilized Plastic Materials in Different Global Regions

80-120 kg / a

Developed Countries (average consumption per

person)

250 Mtons / a

World production & consumption of

Plastic Materials

2-15 kg / a

Emerging and Developing Countries

(average consumption per

person)

Highly Resistant Polymeric Materials No natural degradation Insufficient performance of recycling systems High risk connected to the thermal conversion of plastic by inceneration.

TODAY: Polymers Predominately Deriving from Petro-Industry

It is time to switch.....

1. Fluctuation of crude oil price is the major factor of uncertainty for global industry.

2. Advanced methods for tracing and discharging of crude oil exist, but the fossil resouces are limited.

3. The degradation products of these materials contribute to the green house effect and global warming.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biopolymers produced by a broad range of prokaryotes from renewable resources.

PHAs: a sustainable solution!

The industrial implementation has a two major impacts:

•in replacing petrol based plastics; •in solving industrial waste problems.

PHAs can be selected as a sustainable solution for polymer industry:

1. Biobased, Biocompostible and Biodegradable („green plastics“)

2. Produced by living microorganisms

3. PHAs and their follow-up products can be processed to create a broad range of marketable products for a variety of applications

PHAs: a Sustainable Solution!

What characterizes a „GREEN“ Plastic?

Biodegradable

The 90% of the carbon of the plastic is metabolized within 180 days. (standardized norm EN-13432)

Compostable

If not more than 10% of the plastic material remain in a sieve of 2mm pore size after 180 days of composting . (standardized norm EN-13432)

Using standardized methods for assessing the ecotoxicity of the (plastic) material, it must not feature any negative impact on living organisms or the involved environment. (standardized norm ISO 10993) Biocompatible

The production of the building blocks is based on renewable resources; the polymerization of the monomers may occur chemically or biotechnologically.

Biobased

When Plastics are „GREEN“?

PHAs can be selected as a sustainable solution for polymer industry:

1. Biobased, Biocompostible and Biodegradable („green plastics“)

2. Produced by living microorganisms

3. PHAs and their follow-up products can be processed to create a broad range of marketable products for a variety of applications

PHAs: a Sustainable Solution!

Raw materials

“White Biotechnology”

Accessible C source

(hydrolysis)

Microorganisms (Archea, Bacteria, Fungi)

PHAs

(through fermentative

process)

(separation and

purification)

Haloferax mediterranei Xanthomonas campestris

PHAs: a Reserve Compound

PHAs serve as a storage materials for carbon and energy for the microorganism:

• produced under conditions of carbon surplus together with a limitation of an essential growth component. • metabolised under condition of starvation, this reserve compound, into the final products: H2O and CO2.

Electrone microscope picture of Cupriavidus necator DSM 545; PHA content in cells 60 to 70 wt.-%; Picture by Dr. E. Ingolić, ZFE-FELMI Graz

Koller et al., Macromolecular Bioscience 7, 218-226, 2007

PHAs provide an advantage for microbial surviving!

PHAs can be selected as a sustainable solution for polymer industry:

1. Biobased, Biocompostible and Biodegradable (green plastic)

2. Produced by living microorganisms

3. PHAs and their follow-up products can be processed to create a broad range of marketable products for a variety of applications

PHAs: a Sustainable Solution!

Potential Applications of PHAs

• carriers and matrices for controlled release of nutrients, fertilizers and pesticides; mulch foils etc.

Agro-Industrial

• controlled release of active pharmaceutical ingredients Therapeutic

• as synthons for synthesis of organic fine chemicals

Use of Chiral building blocks

• compostable after utilization Packaging Materials

• implants Surgical

Chen et al., 2005 Sodian et al., 2000 Rokkanen et al., 2000

Surgical Applications: Implants

Ongoing PROJECT „BRIC“ [Laura Bassi Center of Expertises; Austrian project]: Development of BioResorbable Implants for Children surgery (frenum healing). Coordinated by Medical University Graz, Austria; Prof. A. Weinberg

Artifical organs, artifical blood vessels, materials for wound treatment:

Application of PHAs

1. The selection of raw materials

2. The cost of downstream processing for isolation of PHA from biomass

Obstacles in the Market Penetration of PHAs

The production costs of PHA must be in the same range as the competing „classical“ plastics (PP; LDPE) These costs have to be minimized dispite the instable market price for crude mineral oil by optimizing:

Waste Streams Selection for Carbon Sources

Biopolymer production based on Renewable Resources

Biopolymer Production integrated

into production

line

Location of Production

Plant

Waste-streams available

No interference with food- or feed applications!!!

Alternative Carbon Sources:

1. Whey from dairy industry (Lactose): EU-FP6 PROJECT WHEYPOL (Dec. 2001 to Dec. 2004; coordinated by Graz University of Technology)

2. Crude glycerol phase from the biodiesel production (Glycerol) EU-FP5 PROJECT BIODIEPRO (Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2005; coordinated by ARGENT Energy; Graz University of Technology as partner)

3. Molasses from the sugar industry (Sucrose)

4. Animal Derived Waste Lipids (EU-FP7 PROJECT ANIMPOL)

Our Choices...

FP7 Project ANIMPOL

The Animpol project aims at the sustainable and value added

conversion of waste-lipids from animals

in order to create a viable strategy that enables the production of PHAs in Europe in future.

MICROBIAL PHA PRODUCTION (group 1 and group 2 production strains)

Downstream Processing EXTRACTION OF PHA FROM

BIOMASS

Waste Fraction

Hydrolysis RESIDUAL BIOMASS

Purification/Refining PHA

WASTE LIPIDS Transesterification

MIX BIODIESEL-GLYCEROL Separation

BIOFUEL (FME) GLYCEROL LIQUID PHASE (GLP)

Proteins Lipids

Project Start: January 1st, 2010

Entire Project Volume: € 3,7 Mio.; EU contribution: € 2,9 Mio

Coordinated by Graz University of Technology, Austria

FP7 Project ANIMPOL

„Biotechnological conversion of carbon containing wastes for eco-efficient production of high added value products”

The Holistic Nature of ANIMPOL The research is performed by a consortium from 6 European countries: close cooperation of 7 academic and 4 industrial partners from 7 countries! Academic Partners:

Partner Partner Logo

Key Researcher Main Roles Country

Graz University of Technology

Dr. Martin Koller, Prof. Michael Narodoslawsky, Prof. Hans Schnitzer

Coordination; Biotechnological production of PHA biopolyesters (Institute of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering); Life Cycle Assessment, Cleaner production studies; Engineering (Institute of process and Particle Engineering)

Austria

Università di Padova

Prof. Sergio Casella Microbiology, Genetics Italy

University of Zagreb

Prof. Predrag Horvat Mathematical Modeling of Bioprocesses Croatia

University of Graz Prof. Martin Mittelbach Enhanced transesterification of animal waste lipids; assessment of composition and quality of raw materials

Austria

Università di Pisa Prof. Emo Chiellini Characterization of PHAs; formulation of PHA-based composites and blends

Italy

Polish Academy of Science

Prof. Marek Kowalczuk Characterization of PHA and derived composites and blends

Poland

National Institute of Chemistry

Dr. Andrej Kržan Characterization of PHA and derived composites and blends

Slovenia

Industrial Waste-Streams from… Biotechnological conversion of waste streams from two industrial branches towards PHA biopolyesters.

U. Reistenhofer GesmbH, Austria Slaughtering industry: lipid rich animal residues. Key representative: Mr. Thomas Reistenhofer

Argent Energy, Great Britain Large biodiesel (highly saturated biodiesel fractions) producer from tallow and waste cooking oil; delivers saturated biodiesel fraction and crude glycerol phase Key representative: Dr. Mike Scott

Addition Industrial Partners:

Argus Umweltbiotechnologie GmbH, Germany Scale-up of industrial process from lab scale (from 1L to industrial scale 70000 L). Role in ANIMPOL: development of sustainable Downstream Processing Key representative: Dr. Horst Niebelschütz

TERMOPLAST srl, Italy Representative of Polymer Industry! Interested in switching to bioplastics. Key representative: Dr. Maurizio Malossi

How industry can support and optimize academic research!

• Advisory Board members are no beneficiaries of the project; they give advice in how to proceed with the activities

Advisory Board of Companies Acting as an „Enduser Group“

1. Novamont, Italy: biodegradables

2. ChemTex Italia (gruppo Mossi & Ghissolfi; Italy): biobased products

3. KRKA, Slovenia: large scale fermentations

Major Goals

Development of an integrated, sound industrial process!

Bring together waste producers from animal processing industry and biofuel industry with the polymer industry.

The Holistic Nature of Animpol Biotechnology

and

Fermentation Technology

Microbiology

and

Genetic Engineering

Chemistry

and

Chemical Engineering

Polymer Chemistry

and

Polymer Processing

Life Cycle Assessment

Dissemination and Exploitation of

Results; Marketing of Final Product

Structure of the Project

Amounts of Waste in EU Significant for ANIMPOL

ANIMAL WASTE LIPIDS 500.000 t/y

CRUDE GLYCEROL 265.000

metric tons/year

BIODIESEL

CATALLYTICALLY ACTIVE

BIOMASS (0.4-0.5g/g)

PHA 120.000 t (0.3g/g)

SATURATED FRACTION

50.000 t/year

UNSATURATED FRACTION

PHA 35.000 t (0.7g/g)

Excellent Biofuel!

time [h]

N li

mit

atio

n!

Linear increase of PHA concentration

Biotechnological Example: Fermentation Pattern for PHA Production from Animal-derived, Saturated Biodiesel

μ max. = 0,20 1/h

Process Parameters Values

Cell Dry Mass 45,7 [g/L]

PHA 30,2 [g/L]

Residual Biomass 15,4 [g/L]

PHA / CDM 66,2 [%]

µ max. 0,20 [1/h]

Volumetric Productivity 0,62 [g/Lh]

Yield Biomass / Biodiesel 0,6 – 0,7 [g/g]

Main Results:

1. General Impact: • solutions for waste problems arising on local

scales that can be applied for all Europe.

2. Transitional Impact: • creation of ecological and economic benefits by

converting waste into value-added materials

3. Socioeconomic Impact: • new jobs directly in the involved industrial

branches and high-qualified scientific jobs in academia.

Impact of ANIMPOL Project

Designing ecologically and economically feasible biopolymers production process:

1. Utilization of waste materials.

2. Integration into existing production line.

3. Alternative extraction methods.

Thank you for your attention!

PHA Production: Economical in Future or not?