en.Wedoany.com Reported - Covestro has launched the Bio4PURConti project and serves as the coordinator of this EU-funded initiative. The project aims to develop the world's first continuous production process for bio-based aniline. Aniline is a key raw material in the chemical industry, particularly used in the production of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).
Covestro notes that globally, the production of aniline from fossil feedstocks emits approximately 20 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. To reduce this carbon footprint, Covestro uses a customized microorganism in its bio-based process, which converts industrial sugars derived from plant biomass into an intermediate product through fermentation. This intermediate is then chemically catalyzed into aniline, with all carbon sourced from plants.
The core innovation of the Bio4PURConti project lies in the first-time application of continuous fermentation technology, replacing the currently used fed-batch method. This process uses plant-based sugars as feedstock, such as those from hardwood biomass. The resulting bio-based aniline is fully compatible with existing polyurethane value chains, meeting MDI specifications without requiring adjustments in downstream processes. The project will scale up from laboratory scale to the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Ghent, Belgium, and to Covestro's 1.5 cubic meter semi-industrial demonstration scale in Germany Leverkusen, integrating cell recycling, real-time analysis, and downstream processing. The goal is to enhance space-time yield and significantly improve the product carbon footprint.
Dr. Markus Dugal, Head of Process Technology at Covestro, stated that Bio4PURConti is a milestone project for the industrial biotechnology sector. Demonstrating continuous fermentation at a semi-industrial scale for bulk raw materials like aniline will set a new benchmark for biotechnological processes in the chemical industry. The combination of biology and engineering after scaling can reshape material production methods.
The project consortium consists of 10 institutions from seven countries, bringing together leading industrial and academic forces. The total project budget is 8.4 million euros, with 7 million euros funded by the EU, and a runtime of 42 months. Covestro is one of the world's major aniline producers, with an annual capacity exceeding one million tons.
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