Premium
Fatty alcohol production: an opportunity of bioprocess
Author(s) -
Munkajohnpong Pobthum,
Kesornpun Chatchai,
Buttra Supacha,
Jaroensuk Juthamas,
Weeranoppanant Nopphon,
Chaiyen Pimchai
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
biofuels, bioproducts and biorefining
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.931
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1932-1031
pISSN - 1932-104X
DOI - 10.1002/bbb.2112
Subject(s) - fatty alcohol , biochemical engineering , bioprocess , environmentally friendly , chemical industry , microbiology and biotechnology , alcohol , metabolic engineering , chemistry , production (economics) , environmental science , pulp and paper industry , organic chemistry , engineering , biology , chemical engineering , ecology , macroeconomics , economics , enzyme
Fatty alcohols are widely used for various applications and are found in products ranging from detergents to cosmetics and cleaning agents. Currently, over 3 million tonnes of fatty alcohols are produced per year from bio‐based and petroleum‐based feedstocks through chemical conversion and synthetic processes. However, the environmental impact of current fatty alcohol production processes has become a major concern, and several bioprocesses have emerged as alternative methods for synthesis. These biological processes are environmentally friendly due to their metal‐free nature, low consumption of energy, and mild reaction conditions. This review overviews the current status of fatty alcohol production – both chemical and biological approaches. Our focus is on biological synthesis approaches using biocatalysis and metabolic engineering due to their proven efficacy. Potential downstream processing for these bioprocesses is also presented. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd