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2013|14 Annual Report Fraunhofer IGB

107 Dr. Ana Lucía Vásquez Caicedo Phone +49 711 970-3669 analucia.vasquez@igb.fraunhofer.de Dr.-Ing. Susanne Zibek Phone +49 711 970-4167 susanne.zibek@igb.fraunhofer.de Funding We would like to thank the European Union for funding the project ”O4S: Sustainable surfactant production from renewable resources through natural fermentation for applications in natural, organically- certified products“ within the scope of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7 / 2007 – 2013), grant agreement n° 286859. Project partners and further information www.organic4surfactants.eu specifications of the International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association Natrue. For example, we initially in- vestigated the availability of waste materials such as husks and olive oil residues and the particular conditioning and / ​or conversion steps required and assessed the relevant ensuing costs. In a subsequent step we tested biosurfactant formation in a variety of selected microorganisms on these substrates along with the separation and purification of the surfactants. Furthermore, we determined their chemical and physical prop- erties (solubility, pH stability), sensory properties (color, smell) and application-related properties (foaming, emulsifying and antimicrobial properties) in collaboration with research and industry partners. Integrated system approach and outlook Of fundamental importance for the project is the integrated system approach encompassing all stages of the process chain. For example, it must be ensured that both the waste materials from organic agriculture and the methods for feedstock condi- tioning into substrates that can be utilized by microorganisms are suitable for the manufacture of certifiable biosurfactants. Likewise, environmentally sustainable methods must be devel- oped and implemented for the separation and purification of the surfactants produced using biotechnological methods as well as for their subsequent stabilization and formulation. Depending on the choice of substrates and purification strate- gy, products with a variety of chemical and physical properties are obtained. Using precise characterization, the surfactants obtained can be used for a suitable application. In order to be able to use the biosurfactants available in an optimum way, a formulation platform is being developed on the basis of the characterization. From this, specific product requirements in relation to the formulation can be derived, for example whether the biosurfactant should be stabilized as a powder or in liquid form, in order to ensure stability of the biosurfactant over the logistics chain. In this context, the hygiene-related and regulatory requirements play a major role in relation to product safety and consumer acceptance. 1 Agricultural waste from certified growers is to supply biosur- factants for cosmetic products. 2 Production of biosurfactants in a 42-liter bioreactor. 3 The whole process chain should be designed in such a way that the methods used meet the criteria of the organic associations to gain an end product that is 100 percent organically certified. 3 Finally, the integrated system approach takes into account the total mass and energy balance and provides an industrial de- sign concept, which enables this manufacturing process to be transferred to industrial application. Contacts sourcing secondary use of product waste primary processing screening and manufacture products separation module for downstream processing stabilization purification treated by-products (oil, sugar) feed inlet microbial culture primary products e.g. food by-products e.g. biosurfactants raw material characterization and application e.g. cosmetics, detergents industrial applicants

Overview