GlyChem

For the competitiveness of glycan-based value chains, the inclusion of co-products offers an opportunity that is not available for the synthetic analogues. The extraction residue is a suitable substrate for anaerobic digestion, where polar carboxylic acids can be converted into biogas through degradation processes. By using a novel biotechnology that can convert these polar carboxylic acids into nonpolar carboxylic acids via ethanol maturation, which in turn can be separated from the substrate with an extractant and converted to different biobased products via various refining routes, additional value can be added to the resulting residues.

Therefore, for the formation and separation of non-polar carboxylic acids, laboratory scale experiments (10 liter reactors) are carried out and the extractable carboxylic acids are determined quantitatively and qualitatively by GC-FID. Finally, initial estimates of possible products and product quantities will be discussed from the data obtained.

The experiments will start about three months after the start of the project, when the first extraction residues from apple pomace and cocoa shells are available. Since the trials will be conducted in small reactors, both substrates can be studied in parallel. The total treatment time per substrate can be assumed to be six to eight weeks. Each experimental batch will be set up in duplicate and with a blank test. Six months after the start of the project, the first results of the tested substrates can be expected. These results are then to be confirmed by a second trial run. New substrates for the trials will be available from the tenth month of the project. These will also be investigated with a double determination and a blank value and two experimental runs. Finally, in the last six months of this work package, optimization trials will be carried out to improve the extraction potential.