AIR3-CT94-2291 Production of Sugar Fatty Acid Esters from Renewable Agricultural Resources: An Integrated Optimization of Enzymatic-Purification Processes and of Surfactive Properties

Contacts
Further Information



To find similar Items, click on a keyword below:
AIR Cluster IV - Oils and Fats : Biological Conversion : Detergents : Fine Chemicals : Pharmaceuticals/Cosmetics : Separation/Fractionation : Sugar : Vegetable Oil/Fat

	Contract No	AIR3-CT94-2291
	Total Cost	567 877
	EC Contribution	425 000
	Start Date	01/01/1995
	Duration	36 months

---

SUMMARY

This project is investigating both chemical and enzyme based methods of producing surface active materials (surfactants and emulsifiers) based on esterification of any of a number of different sugars with any of a number of different long chain fatty acids. Some such products, such as sucrose esters, are available commercially, finding use in cosmetics and foods. However, in general they are relatively costly due to difficulties in production and purification. These compounds consist of the combination of a sugar molecule, which is water soluble, with a long chain fatty acid which is soluble in organic solvents. The problem is to identify solvents in which both components will dissolve and then react as required. Such reactions may require the production of complex intermediates and reaction sequences. A number of the solvents which can be used are potentially harmful and have to be removed from the products. An alternative is to use enzymes which catalyse esterifications or transesterifications. However, again there is a need to find conditions under which the reactants will dissolve, the enzymes are stable and the products formed in sufficient quantities to be separated from the reaction mixture. Progress in reaching these objectives over the first two years of the project are described in this item.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the project is to acquire an improved knowledge of enzymatic and purification processes for the synthesis of sugar fatty acid esters, with a view to develop economically feasible processes for the preparation of new non-toxic biodegradable surface-active agents derived entirely from renewable resources.

The project proposes an integrated and multidisciplinary approach towards the optimization of enzymatic processes for the production of new sugar fatty acid esters surfactants.

Starting from the sugars sucrose and lactose and from fatty acids of different chain length, it examines the performances of the different reaction and purification steps leading to sugar esters.

The study mainly focuses on the following aspects :

1. the initial enzymatic or chemical alkylation of the sugars;

2. the enzymatic esterification of the saccharides with varying fatty acids and lipases, under different operational parameters

3. the sugar esters purification by liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide extractions, precipitation and chromatography to achieve different degrees of purity

4. the determination of the composition and surface properties of the synthesized sugar esters.

The knowledge gained on these processes are expected to contribute to the development of economically competitive technologies and of novel surfactants interesting as detergents or as additives for cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Jean-Marc ENGASSER / Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie / FRANCE

EC Scientific Officer

• Ciarán MANGAN / European Commission - DG Research Quality of Life Programme - Unit B1.2 / BELGIUM

Participant

• Antonio BALLESTEROS / CSIC Institute of Catalysis Dept of Biocatalysis / SPAIN
• Dimitrios TASSIOS / National Technical University of Athen (NTUA) Dept of Chemical Engineering / GREECE