Past, Present, Future: the green wave transforming bulk chemicals

January 2025 | ISOLVENTS CHEMICALS | Tadeck Jones

The bulk chemicals industry is heavily reliant on petrochemicals as its major source of raw materials. Although the use of petrochemicals offers sustainable feedstock, it poses a threat to the environment due to emission of greenhouse gases that lead to global warming and climate change.

The extensive and prolonged use of petrochemicals has led to the establishment of efficient, optimal and economic production of bulk chemicals. However, the finite supply of the petrochemicals could result in an increase in the production costs of bulk chemicals as the oil reserves dwindle.

Biotechnology is a promising field that can offer an environmentally friendly production opportunity for bulk chemicals.

Biotechnology application dates back as early as the year 1916

Biotechnology application in the bulk chemicals industry dates back as early as the year 1916, where a bacterial species called Clostridium acetobutylicum which can utilize a broad range of carbohydrates and complex biopolymers such as lignin was used to produce acetone, butanol and ethanol simultaneously in a fermentation process known as the ABE process (Karimi et al., 2015).

Acetone was used by the British in the First World War to produce cordite, a smokeless propellant that replaced black powder as a military firearm propellant. Unfortunately, the ABE process used corn and potato starch as the production feedstock which was unsustainable and threatened food security. The end of the war and the emergence of petrochemicals in the 1950s led to the abandonment of the ABE process.

Present-day biotechnological advancements

With the present-day biotechnological advancements, research is being conducted to use enzymes and microorganisms to produce chemicals from renewable resources in a sustainable manner.

Breakthroughs have been made in the production of 1,3-propanediol, lactic acid and biofuels with applications spanning across the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries.

Potent microorganisms that can breakdown complex molecules have been identified, for example:

• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Clostridium butyricum
• Clostridium pasteurianum
• Citrobacter freundii

These microorganisms can ferment glycerol into 1,3-propanediol (Tang & Zhao, 2009).

Furthermore, the cost of glycerol as a raw material has been lowered through the increase in biodiesel production which produces about 10% glycerol as the main by-product.

Bioprocess integration: hybrid systems

Although biotechnology is attracting attention, a lot of work still needs to be done to achieve ‘high volume and low price’. Bulk chemical industries are also making efforts to lower their carbon footprint by incorporating bioprocesses within their chemical processes where possible.

This creates a hybrid system that strikes a balance between yield and the cost of production.

The production of polylactide (PLA), a biodegradable green plastic, is an example where lactic acid is produced through fermentation then chemically converted to PLA (Chen, 2012).

Some companies, like iSolvents, offer both natural and synthetic products, affording customers the flexibility to choose which products best suit their ideology.

The future: genetic engineering and greener practices

The future looks green with modern techniques used in genetic engineering such as gene editing or metabolic pathway engineering to streamline bioprocesses towards the desired product.

Minimization of side reactions will lower the cost of product recovery. It is pertinent for the bulk chemicals industry to surf the ‘green wave’ to ensure that there will still be a planet for future generations.

Sustainability is a major part of iSolvents’ company philosophy, and they are therefore committed to continued education for the purpose of creating and promoting greener practices in the bulk chemical industry.

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