Bioconversion of residual glycerol from biodiesel synthesis into 1,3-propanediol using immobilized cells of Klebsiella pneumoniae BLh-1

• Published in: Renewable energy Vol. 72; pp. 253 - 257
• Main Authors: Aquino de Souza, Elisangela, Rossi, Daniele Misturini, Záchia Ayub, Marco Antônio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: 1,3-Propanediol; Applied sciences; Biodiesel; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Immobilized-cell bioreactors; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Natural energy; Residual glycerol; Residual glycerol; Immobilized-cell bioreactors; 1,3-Propanediol; Biodiesel; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Renewable energy; Biofuel
• ISSN: 0960-1481; 1879-0682
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2014.07.030

The bioconversion of residual glycerol obtained from biodiesel synthesis into 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) was carried out using Ca-alginate immobilized-cells cultures of Klebsiella pneumoniae BLh-1. The immobilization parameters bead size and cell concentration were determined for the best possible productivity and were found to be 3.4 mm and 100 mg mL−1, respectively. In 12 h-batch cultivations, immobilized cultures showed a 1,3-PD productivity of 1.85 g L−1 h−1, up from 1.22 g L−1 h−1 obtained in 16 h-batch cultivations using free-suspended cells. The possibility of reuse of the biocatalysts was tested in 5-cycles repeated batch cultures, with entrapped cells keeping their operational stability and biological activity, with 1,3-PD productivities as high as 4.48 g L−1 h−1. Other important metabolites such as 2,3-butanediol and ethanol were also produced (10.11 g L−1 and 3.71 g L−1, respectively) during the repeated batches. These results show the feasibility of using and further developing immobilized-cell systems of K. pneumoniae for the efficient bioprocessing of residual glycerol.
•Bioconversion of residual biodiesel glycerol into 1,3-propanediol was achieved.•Ca-alginate immobilized-cells of Klebsiella pneumoniae were cultivated in bioreactors.•High 1,3-PD productivity of 4.48 g L−1 h−1 was achieved in 12 h-batch cultivations.•Other important metabolites, 2,3-butanediol and ethanol, were also produced.