Technological development of the bio‐based 2,3‐butanediol process

• Published in: Biofuels, bioproducts and biorefining Vol. 15; no. 2; pp. 357 - 376
• Main Authors: Tinôco, Daniel, Borschiver, Suzana, Coutinho, Paulo L., Freire, Denise M. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-03-2021; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: bio‐based 2,3‐butanediol; Butanediol; Cosmetics; Dietary supplements; Distillation; Distilling; Economics; Food additives; Industrial applications; Industrial production; Intermediates; large‐scale process; Microorganisms; Production methods; Recovery; Scientific papers; Solvent extraction; Substrates; technological maturity; Technology; technology roadmap
• ISSN: 1932-104X; 1932-1031
• DOI: 10.1002/bbb.2173

The biotechnological production of 2,3‐butanediol (2,3‐BDO) has economic and environmental advantages over the chemical route, although its large‐scale implementation has not yet been consolidated. To establish the technological maturity of the bio‐based 2,3‐BDO process, and the factors limiting its industrial use, a technology roadmap was built from patents and scientific articles, in which four drivers were identified: production process, recovery process, product, and application. The production process driver was reported in 53.25% of documents, notably including studies on substrates, engineered microorganisms, efficient production methods, and nutritional supplementation. The recovery process driver was investigated in 23.5% of studies, with conventional distillation and solvent extraction being the main technologies performed on a large scale. Product and application drivers accounted for 9.25% and 14% of studies, respectively, highlighting the chemical intermediates, plastics, food additives, and cosmetics market segments. A limited number of companies like LanzaTech and GS Caltex Corporation already produce industrially bio‐based 2,3‐BDO, while academic centers such as the Yancheng Institute of Technology are focused to the laboratory scale with technologies to be implemented in the long term. This study can therefore help to establish and gain an understanding of the necessary strategies to consolidate the industrial production of bio‐based 2,3‐BDO in the future. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd