Henkel Corporation

Cognis Corporation

Cognis IP Management Gmbh

J Douglas Wenzel

Kevin W Anderson

Richard G Fayter

Kenneth R McVay

A process for forming a color and odor stable polycarboxylic acid or polyhydroxy acid is provided. The process is carried out by fermenting a mixture containing a substrate which can be converted by fermentation into a polycarboxylic acid or a polyhydroxy acid, an organism capable of transforming the substrate by fermentation in a fermentation medium containing a source of carbon and energy, a source of inorganic nitrogen, a source of phosphate, a metal, a biotin which is substantially free of particulate matter and bacteria.

Fermentation process

Biooxidation reactions can be controlled by a method which comprises the steps of: (1) independently adding a substrate and a co-substrate at predetermined rates to a bioxidation reaction mixture comprised of a biocatalyst; (2) measuring the oxygen consumption rate and carbon dioxide evolution rate from the reaction mixture; (3) determining the instantaneous rates of substrate and cosubstrate consumption by solving simultaneous equations relating carbon dioxide evolution rate and oxygen consumption rate to the substrate oxidation stoichiometry, the cosubstrate combustion stoichiometry, and optionally the biomass formation stoichiometry; (4) simultaneously adjusting the substrate and cosubstrate addition rates to the rates of substrate oxidation and cosubstrate consumption in order to maximize the rate of product formation while simultaneously minimizing the rate of cosubstrate usage. The method provides a rapid means of controlling fed-batch biooxidation reactions which can employ in-line techniques and is broadly applicable for diverse oxidation reactions.

Method for controlling biooxidation reactions

A fermentation medium containing: (a) a source of metabolizable carbon and energy; (b) a source of inorganic nitrogen; (c) a source of phosphate; (d) at least one metal selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, and mixtures thereof; and (e) biotin, substantially free of particulate matter and bacteria. A fatty material may be added to an aqueous suspension containing at least one dicarboxylic acid to modify the rheological characteristics of the suspension.

Carboxylic acids are recovered from a fermentation broth by adjusting the pH of a fermentation broth comprised of a carboxylic acid to at least about 6.0 and then heating the pH-adjusted broth to a temperature sufficient to effect the formation of three immiscible phases, one of which is an oily phase rich in the carboxylic acid.

Process for recovering carboxylic acids from a fermentation broth

Aliphatic polycarboxylic acids are made by a process comprising the steps of: (1) fermenting a beta-oxidation blocked C. tropicalis cell wherein both copies of the chromosomal POX5 gene and the chromosomal POX4A and POX4B genes are disrupted in a culture medium comprised of a nitrogen source, an organic substrate and a cosubstrate wherein the substrate is an unsaturated aliphatic compound having at least one internal carbon--carbon double bond and at least one terminal methyl group, a terminal carboxyl group and/or a terminal functional group which is oxidizable to a carboxyl group by biooxidation; (2) reacting the product of step (1) with an oxidizing agent to produce one or more polycarboxylic acids.

Process for making polycarboxylic acids

Carboxylic acids and glycerine are made by a continuous splitting process which involves the formation of a presplitting mixture by separately adding the glyceride, an effective lipase in an amount sufficient to produce partial splitting of the glyceride, and water. The water used in the formation of the presplitting mixture is water that has been separated from the glycerin-water effluent stream from the pressure splitter and recycled. The next step involves the pressure splitting which entails mixing the partially split glyceride from the presplitter with water and heating under conditions of temperature and pressure effective to substantially complete the splitting of the glyceride into component fatty acids and a glycerin-water stream. The water is then separated from the glycerine-water stream and the water is recycled to the presplitter.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

J Douglas Wenzel