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Generation of environmentally enhanced products: Clean technology for paper chemicals
Author(s) -
Hardman David J.,
Huxley Margaret,
Bull Alan T.,
Slater J. Howard,
Bates Robert
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4660(199709)70:1<60::aid-jctb656>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - bioprocess , curing (chemistry) , epichlorohydrin , bioreactor , process engineering , chemical industry , chemical products , environmentally friendly , pulp and paper industry , biochemical engineering , materials science , environmental science , chemistry , chemical engineering , composite material , organic chemistry , engineering , ecology , biology
The modification of existing chemical manufacturing processes to selectively remove unwanted chemicals in products, offers a realistic approach to novel clean technologies. Adjunct biotechnological processing offers a means to achieve the manufacture of new environmentally enhanced products (EEPs). This paper describes the development and implementation of a bioprocess for the manufacture of an enhanced paper chemical. The process was integrated into existing manufacturing plants involved in the production of neutral curing poly(aminoamide) chemicals which are used commercially to impart wet‐strength to paper products such as tissues and towels (e.g. Kymene ™ wet‐strength resins). A consequence of the epichlorohydrin chemistry involved in the polymer's manufacture, haloalcohols (predominantly, 1,3‐dichloropropan‐2‐ol (DCP) and 1‐chloropropanediol (3‐CPD)) contaminate the product. The objective was to reduce the concentration of the two haloalcohols in Kymene ™ ‐SLX wet‐strength resins ( c . 8000 ppm db) without affecting the performance of the product. A two‐membered bacterial consortium was used in an aerobic stirred tank bioreactor system which was capable of rapidly reducing the concentrations of DCP and CPD in an aqueous solution of the wet‐strength resin to less than 1 ppm and 5 ppm respectively. A 3000 dm 3 bioreactor was integrated into two established manufacturing plants, generating a reliable and predictable process to enhance the value of the neutral curing wet‐strength chemical. ©1997 SCI