Eco-efficient downstream processing of 1,3-propanediol applicable to various fermentation processes

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PDO (1,3-propanediol) is a platform chemical that is obtained by petrochemical routes and by fermentation. The latter needs relatively complex downstream processing after fermentation, due to the modest concentration of the high-boiling product, and the presence of microorganisms and many impurities in the fermentation medium. This novel research proposes an original large-scale (production capacity of 23 – 32 ktonne/y) process for the final purification of PDO and dominant by-products, from the fermentation of glucose or glycerol. Following the initial microfiltration, diafiltration, ultrafiltration and ion exchange steps, heat pump-assisted vacuum distillation was implemented to remove most of the water from the broth. Afterwards, an advanced highly-integrated dividing-wall column was designed to allow the final purification of PDO (product purity > 99.9 wt%) from light and heavy by-products. Fermentation by-products that are present in significant amounts can also be recovered and valorized. Overall, the developed final purification processes demonstrate cost-effectiveness (0.150 – 0.274 $/kg) and energy-efficiency (1.258 – 3.175 kWthh/kg) which contributes to the competitiveness of the overall downstream processing (0.256 – 0.384 $/kg and 1.487 – 3.496 kWthh/kg).