Abstract

BackgroundDespite its high market potential, bio-based succinic acid production experienced recently a declining trend because the initial investments did not meet the expectations for rapid market growth. Thus, reducing the succinic acid production cost is imperative to ensure industrial implementation.ResultsSuccinic acid production has been evaluated using hydrolysates from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) collected from MSW treatment plants. A tailor-made enzymatic cocktail was used for OFMSW hydrolysate production containing up to 107.3 g/L carbon sources and up to 638.7 mg/L free amino nitrogen. The bacterial strains Actinobacillus succinogenes and Basfia succiniciproducens were evaluated for succinic acid production with the latter strain being less efficient due to high lactic acid production. Batch A. succinogenes cultures supplemented with 5 g/L yeast extract and 5 g/L MgCO3 reached 29.4 g/L succinic acid with productivity of 0.89 g/L/h and yield of 0.56 g/g. Continuous cultures at dilution rate of 0.06 h−1 reached 21.2 g/L succinic acid with yield of 0.47 g/g and productivity of 1.27 g/L/h. Downstream separation and purification of succinic acid was achieved by centrifugation, treatment with activated carbon, acidification with cation exchange resins, evaporation and drying, reaching more than 99% purity. Preliminary techno-economic evaluation has been employed to evaluate the profitability potential of bio-based succinic acid production.ConclusionsThe use of OFMSW hydrolysate in continuous cultures could lead to a minimum selling price of 2.5 $/kg at annual production capacity of 40,000 t succinic acid and OFMSW hydrolysate production cost of 25 $/t sugars.

Highlights

  • Despite its high market potential, bio-based succinic acid production experienced recently a declining trend because the initial investments did not meet the expectations for rapid market growth

  • Despite the high potential of succinic acid as platform chemical and the high prospects for industrial growth, in recent years, the growth of bio-based succinic acid production is declining because the four initial industrial producers (i.e., Myriant, BioAmber, Reverdia and Succinity) have faced severe competition with low petroleum prices due to increased supply of shale oil and gas that reduced the price of petrochemicals [11,12,13]

  • This study has evaluated all the aforementioned aspects including the estimation of the threshold of OFMSW pretreatment cost in order to achieve a cost-competitive process for the production of succinic acid crystals of high purity

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Summary

Results

Succinic acid production has been evaluated using hydrolysates from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) collected from MSW treatment plants. The bacte‐ rial strains Actinobacillus succinogenes and Basfia succiniciproducens were evaluated for succinic acid production with the latter strain being less efficient due to high lactic acid production. Batch A. succinogenes cultures supplemented with 5 g/L yeast extract and 5 g/L ­MgCO3 reached 29.4 g/L succinic acid with productivity of 0.89 g/L/h and yield of 0.56 g/g. Continuous cultures at dilution rate of 0.06 h−1 reached 21.2 g/L succinic acid with yield of 0.47 g/g and productivity of 1.27 g/L/h. Downstream separation and purification of succinic acid was achieved by centrifugation, treatment with activated carbon, acidification with cation exchange resins, evaporation and drying, reaching more than 99% purity. Preliminary techno-economic evaluation has been employed to evaluate the profitability potential of bio-based succinic acid production

Conclusions
Background
Results and discussion
Conclusion
Methods

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