AGRE-0007 Production and Utilisation of D-Galacturonic Acid as a Basic Chemical Substrate

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Biological Conversion : Detergents : ECLAIR Cluster III - Carbohydrates : Pharmaceuticals/Cosmetics : Sugar

AGRE-0007 Production and Utilisation of D-Galacturonic Acid as a Basic Chemical Substrate 1 December 1990 - 30 November 1991

GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

Price control and the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels has led the modern industrial and agricultural sectors to investigate the use of biological renewable raw materials as a potential alternative.

The groups SUCRE UNION and CHAMPAGNE CEREALES, with the assistance of their research structure A.R.D. (Agroindustrie Recherche et Developpements), are investigating this approach by developing a global valorisation concept of organic plant material based upon the technologies of enzymatic liquefaction and the fractionation of whole roots (e.g. beets and endives).

The production and extraction of D-galacturonic acid from whole roots is an example of a useful commodity chemical which has interesting industrial and nutritional properties; D-galacturonic acid and its analogues can be produced at prices and purity grades which are compatible with similar industrial compounds in performing the following functions:

• calcium sequestrant, to replace phosphates in washing powders (galactonic acid, galactaric acid).
• nonionic or anionic biodegradable surfactants (grafting of lipophilic chains onto D-galacturonic acid).
• low calorific carbohydrates (L-galactose) or nutritional acidifying agents (L-galactone1,4-lactone, L-galactonic acid).

Consequently, efforts are being devoted to obtaining the cheapest possible D-galacturonic acid yields and to its industrial valorisation taking into account market constraints that are either existing or foreseeable in the near future.

Contacts

Coordinator

• S Petit / Sucre Recherches et Developpments FRANCE

EC Scientific Officer

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