When it comes to gluconic acid
technology Vogelbusch and Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig/Halle (UFZ) are a winning team.
The synergies between the in-house engineering know-how of Vogelbusch and the
biotechnological research capabilities of UFZ have already led to a major breakthrough.The
partnership can carry out all stages of project work associated with the construction of
gluconic acid plants, from the initial idea through to successful commissioning.
D-Gluconic acid results from the oxidation of D-glucose. The biological (fermentation)
method is at present the method of preference for industrial production of gluconic acid.
UFZ and VOGELBUSCH have come up with a highly efficient and competitive new
fermentation process for industrial applications.
In the UFZ/VB process, Acetobacter methanolicus is used to catalyze the conversion of
glucose into gluconic acid. The key advantages of using this facultatively methylotrophic
microorganism are that:
- Gluconic acid is a metabolic dead-end product
- At high concentrations glucose is not assimilated and consumed for growth, and
consequently the maximum theoretical yield coefficient can be achieved
- Methanol, a cheap raw material, can be used to produce the catalyst