Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) produced by Cupriavidus necator employing by-products from industrial biodiesel production as carbon source

J.A. LÓPEZ JIMÉNEZ; I. LÓPEZ; A. KOUTINAS; M.A. VILLAR

Granada

Congreso; European Polymer Congress (EPF 2011); 2011

European Plymer Federation

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bio-polyesters produced by a wide variety of bacteria as intracellular carbon and energy storage materials. The most commonly bio-synthesized PHAs are short-chain-length (SCL) copolymers containing 3-5 carbon atoms such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (P(HB-co-HV)). The versatility of these microbial polyesters in terms of physical properties and therefore of commercial and biomedical applications, is increased when more carbon atoms are presented in their molecular structure. Thus, medium-chain-length (MCL) PHA copolymers containing 6-14 carbon atoms represent a great commercial alternative for more specific biopolyesters with a range of additional favorable material properties. This work studies the production and characterization of short-chain-length and medium-chain-length (MCL, 6-14 carbon atoms) PHAs produced by bacterial bioconver-sions of Cupriavidus necator via bioprocessing strategies using crude glycerol and rapeseed residues generated from industrial biodiesel production. Chemical structures and physical properties of produced PHA copolymers were analyzed by using Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H- and 13C-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H- and 13C-NMR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Termogravimetric analysis (TGA). Complex media generated from by-products of the biodiesel manufacture used as carbon source by bacterial bioconversions of Cupriavidus necator give different SCL- and MCL-PHA copolymers. The main goal of this work is the biosynthesis and characterization of PHA copolymers with a bigger spectrum of commercial applications obtained from agroindustrial residues of biodiesel manufacture.