Method for producing function-relevant contents on the basis of regenerative, cell-based materials

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing function-relevant contents on the basis of regenerative, cell-based materials. The invention relates to a method (10) for the cascaded use of cell-based raw materials (12) on the basis of regenerative, cell-based materials in the production of function-relevant contents (16) and products, and to motor vehicles comprising products (20) produced according to the method (10). The method comprises a first phase (14), in which cell-based raw materials (12) with a proportion of hydrocarbons are used in unprocessed form for the production of function-relevant contents (16), and a second phase (18), in which the cell-based raw materials (12) are recovered from the function-relevant contents (16) and used as additional substance in products (20).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Process for the production of functionally relevant ingredients based on regenerative, cell-based materials

[0003] The invention relates to a method for the cascaded use of cell-based raw materials based on regenerative, cell-based materials in the production of functionally relevant ingredients and products as well as motor vehicles comprising products manufactured according to the method.

[0004] Functionally relevant ingredients are functional components in operating materials, such as lubricants or release agents, which are traditionally made from petroleum. However, the use of petroleum will be severely restricted in the future due to the finite nature of petroleum reserves and the use of petroleum in gasoline, plastics, cosmetics, oils, and lubricants. Furthermore, petroleum processing is associated with significant environmental impacts, such as the release of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Petroleum-based lubricants, for example, are highly toxic.

[0005] Plants are already used as a family of alternative raw material sources in the lubricant sector. Many different plant-based oils, such as rapeseed oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, castor oil, or sunflower oil, can be processed into so-called bio-lubricants. However, the use of vegetable oils to produce bio-lubricants is problematic because their sustainability is questionable due to factors such as the use of arable land for growing food and the depletion of soil fertility. Furthermore, the use of vegetable oils is limited by their high functionality, high viscosity, high flash point, and poor thermal and oxidative stability. Accordingly, they typically require additives and chemical modifications before they can be incorporated into commercially available lubricants.Therefore, the cost of using vegetable oils as lubricants is relatively high compared to using petroleum.

[0006] Lubricants for metalworking typically contain mineral oil-based additives. However, it is desirable to reduce the use of petrochemical materials or operating fluids by using sustainable, bio-based raw materials that offer significant advantages in terms of their carbon footprint.

[0007] With their numerous ingredients, biological cells offer a promising basis as a sustainable source of raw materials for technical applications, for example as additives for operating, auxiliary and construction materials.

[0008] US 9,458,407 B2, for example, describes a process for producing algal oil-based biolubricants, comprising selecting a base algal strain having a fatty acid profile containing oleic acid, introducing the base algal strain into a flue gas recycling system, introducing a lipid trigger into the flue gas recycling system to increase the lipid production efficiency of the algae, harvesting the algae, extracting an algal oil from the algae that consists of more than 40% oleic acid, and converting the algal oil into a biolubricant using chemical modification and / or incorporating stabilizing additives.

[0009] WO 2017 / 151684 A1 discloses a novel method for culturing fungi using an engineered artificial medium to produce high-density filamentous fungal biomats that can be harvested with minimal processing and from which fungal products, such as antibiotics, proteins and lipids, can be isolated.

[0010] US 2016 / 0002521 A1 discloses the use of lubricants that can be used in downhole operations, wherein the lubricant contains water, an oil-like microbial cell, a solvent, and optionally one or more surfactants, alcohols, demulsifiers, or combinations thereof. The microbial cell comprises a lysed cell extracted from the oil.

[0011] US Pat. No. 8,167,959 B2 describes a natural, algae-based, synthetic lubricant derived from seaweed. The sieve juice extracted from the seaweed is dried, and in a further step, interfering salts and oxides are removed. The synthetic lubricant can be used as a lubricant and additive for existing lubricants and can also be further reacted with fatty acid esters to form a hybrid lubricant that can serve as a complete replacement for existing lubricants. However, the processes described in the prior art involve a partially technically complex extraction step in which the cells are subjected to lysis. This additional extraction step requires a high level of energy and material expenditure. Therefore, the use of cell-based materials in functionally relevant ingredients without prior processing steps is not known in the prior art.

[0012] The invention is based on the object of replacing or reducing the use of petroleum-based functional carriers in lubricants or release agents with regenerative, cell-based materials and using these across several product phases.

[0013] This object is achieved in the present invention by the features of patent claim 1 in that the process for the cascaded use of cell-based raw materials has the following phases: a first phase in which cell-based raw materials with a proportion of at least 10% of hydrocarbons are used unprocessed to produce functionally relevant ingredients, and a second phase in which the cell-based raw materials are processed from the functionally relevant ingredients and used as an additive in products.

[0014] "Unprocessed" in the context of the present invention means that the raw materials are used without any extraction or purification steps, thus as whole cells. The cell-based raw material can assume functions as a lubricant or release agent in the functionally relevant ingredients.

[0015] “Hydrocarbons” in the sense of the present invention may include, for example, oils or extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) as well as mixtures of different hydrocarbons.

[0016] “Functionally relevant ingredients” in the sense of the present invention means tribologically effective operating materials, such as lubricants or release agents.

[0017] The process according to the invention thus offers the possibility of replacing or at least reducing the use of petrochemical materials / operating resources with sustainable, bio-based raw materials. In particular, the cascaded use of cell-based raw materials can reduce waste and save raw materials. At the same time, this opens up novel possibilities for long-term CO2 sequestration. A particularly advantageous feature is that the cell-based raw materials can be used unprocessed in the process according to the invention, which leads to significantly reduced energy and material consumption.

[0018] Further preferred embodiments of the invention emerge from the remaining features mentioned in the subclaims.

[0019] The proportion of hydrocarbons in the unprocessed cell-based raw materials in the first phase is at least 10% and can also be significantly higher, for example at least 15%, in particular at least 20%, particularly preferably at least 25%. All percentages in this description refer to weight fractions (wt%) unless otherwise stated.

[0020] In a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the second phase is followed by a third phase in which the cell-based raw material is separated from the products by means of a suitable recycling process, such as chemical recycling, and is fed into the biosphere by thermal utilization.

[0021] Thermal recycling refers to the use of cell-based raw materials as an energy source through the application of high temperatures. This process makes it possible to recycle waste and simultaneously generate energy in the form of heat and / or electricity. Thermal recycling technologies include, for example, incineration, pyrolysis, or gasification, in which the products are processed at high temperatures and with a limited oxygen supply to generate thermal energy and a synthesis gas.

[0022] This ensures a CO2-neutral use of cell-based raw materials.

[0023] In a further embodiment of the process according to the invention, cell-based raw materials are selected from the group comprising plant cells, bacteria, fungi, algae, microalgae or cyanobacteria.

[0024] Plant cells, bacteria, fungi, algae, microalgae, or cyanobacteria are suitable sources for cell-based raw materials because they can be obtained in large quantities and from renewable resources. With their numerous constituents, biological cells offer a promising basis as a sustainable source of raw materials for technical applications, for example, as additives for operating materials, auxiliary materials, and construction materials. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cell-based raw materials are microalgae and / or cyanobacteria.

[0025] Microalgae and cyanobacteria, as photoautotrophic organisms, have the advantage of minimal growth requirements and being easy to cultivate. The viscous polysaccharides of microalgae / cyanobacteria have remarkable rheological properties that can help reduce friction. Furthermore, microalgae and cyanobacteria can provide a higher energy yield per hectare than any other biofuel crop.

[0026] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, the microalga Nannochloropsis (NC) sp. is used.

[0027] Nannochloropsis sp. is an industrially promising microalgae that is particularly well-suited as an alternative raw material source due to its high productivity, protein content, and lipid composition.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, the cell-based raw material is prepared in the first phase before the production of the functionally relevant ingredients.

[0029] The preparation step enables the cell-based raw material to be converted into a form suitable for further processing. The preparation step includes one or more of the following steps, such as drying, dilution, concentration, filtration, or comminution, as well as combinations thereof.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, the functionally relevant ingredients produced in the first phase are used as friction reducers, wear reducers, corrosion inhibitors or release agents in lubricants or release agents.

[0031] In the first phase of the process according to the invention, functionally relevant ingredients are obtained based on renewably produced raw materials.

[0032] In a further preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, the cell-based raw material is recovered from the functionally relevant ingredients in a processing step in the second phase. This processing step comprises one or more of the following measures, such as purification, drying, digestion, or separation of ingredients, as well as combinations thereof. This prepares the used functional material for the desired secondary use.

[0033] The process according to the invention thus enables a cascaded use of the cell-based raw materials in a further life phase and thus creates a particularly advantageous ecological balance.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, the cell-based raw material can be used as a filler or additive in products in the second phase.

[0035] The advantage is that the cell-based raw materials can be used as fillers in a wide variety of products and can thus replace chemically produced fillers.

[0036] In an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the products are injection-molded products or 3D-printed components.

[0037] In automotive manufacturing in particular, injection-molded products or 3D-printed components made from regeneratively sourced products can be used.

[0038] The various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another, unless otherwise stated in the individual case.

[0039] The invention is explained below in exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying single drawing. It shows:

[0040] Figure 1 Process steps for the cascading use of cell-based raw materials for the production of functionally relevant ingredients as well as further processing as product components.

[0041] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a process 10 for the cascading use of cell-based raw materials 12. In the first phase 14, the cell-based raw materials 12 with a hydrocarbon content of at least 10% are used unprocessed to produce the functionally relevant ingredients 16. The cell-based raw material can be subjected to a preparation step 22 before being processed into the functionally relevant ingredient 16. The preparation step 22 can be a drying, comminution, or dilution step.

[0042] The cell-based raw materials 12 are selected from the group comprising plant cells, bacteria, fungi, algae, microalgae or cyanobacteria.

[0043] Suitable plant cells as cell-based raw materials 12 can be, for example, jatropha oil (fatty acid content 61% to 64%), neem oil (oleic acid content: 43.9%), karanja oil (oleic acid content 30% to 40%), guar gum or chitosan (polyglucosamine).

[0044] Suitable bacteria as cell-based raw materials 12 are, for example, Xanthomonas campestris, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Streptococcus zooepidemicus or Acinetobacter calcoaceticus,

[0045] Suitable fungi as cell-based raw materials 12 include Fusarium and Rhizopus sp., yeasts such as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Cryptococcus curvatus, Rhodosporidium toruloides or Yarrowia lipolytica.

[0046] Suitable algae as cell-based raw materials 12 include Gelidiella acerosa, Enteromorpha prolifera, Ulva fasciata, Gracilaria intermedia, Chlorophyceae or Ascophyllum nodosum.

[0047] Suitable cyanobacteria as cell-based raw materials 12 are, for example, Nostoc flagelliforme, Cyanothece sp., Anabaena sp. BTA990, Aphanothece sacrum, Arthrospira platensis, Cyanobacterium aponinum, Cyanothece epiphytica, Limnothrix redekei PIIPCCC 116, Lyngbya stagnina, Microcoleus vaginatus, N. flagelliforme TCCC11757, N. microscopicum, N. muscorum, Oscillatoria boryana BDU 92181, Phormidium 94a, Scytonema tolypothrichoides VB61278, Synechocystis sp. BASO444, Tolypothrix bouteillei VB61268 or Spirulina platensis.

[0048] Suitable microalgae as cell-based raw materials 12 include, for example, the genus Prototheca, Auxenochlorella, Chlorella, or Parachlorella. Examples include Arthrospira platensis, Parachlorella kessleri, Parachlorella beijerinckii, Neochloris oleabundans, and Bracteococcus sp. or Nannochloropsis sp., Neochloris sp., Chlorella ellipsoida, Chlorella sorohiniana, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorococcum sp, C. protothecoides, Anabaena ambigua, Glaucosphaera vacuolata, C. minutissima, Schizochlamydella capsulata, Porphyridium sp., Porphyridium purpureum, Ochromionas danicia, Scenedesmus sp,, Scenedesmus rebescens, Scenedesmus obliquus, Thalassiosira fluviatilis, or Botryococcus braunii.

[0049] In the process 10 according to the invention, microalgae are used in particular. These can be cultivated in liquid media to increase biomass. Microalgal species are grown in the absence of light in a medium containing a fixed carbon and / or nitrogen source. Such growth is known as heterotrophic growth. For example, in some species of microalgae, heterotrophic growth over extended periods, such as 10 to 15 or more days, under nitrogen-limited conditions leads to the accumulation of high lipid content in the cells.

[0050] The hydrocarbons of the cell-based raw materials 12 may include, for example, oils and / or extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) as well as mixtures of different hydrocarbons.

[0051] Microbial EPS consist primarily of polysaccharides such as alginate, cellulose, dextran, or levan, as well as a variety of proteins, lipids, phospholipids, glycoproteins, glycolipids, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and often extracellular DNA (e-DNA). The polysaccharides often consist of the monosaccharide building blocks of uronic acids, such as D-glucuronic, D-galacturonic, and D-mannuronic acid.

[0052] In a further embodiment of the process 10 according to the invention, the proportion of hydrocarbons in the cell-based raw materials 12 can be at least 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%. The proportion of hydrocarbons in the cell-based raw materials 12 is preferably between 30% and 90%, particularly preferably between 50% and 90%, in particular between 70% and 90%.

[0053] The cell-based raw material 12 can be subjected to a preparation step 22 in the first phase 14 prior to the production of the functionally relevant ingredients 16. The preparation step 22 preferably comprises one or more of the following measures, such as drying, dilution, concentration, filtration, or comminution, as well as combinations thereof.

[0054] In the first phase 14, the functionally relevant ingredients 16 can be used, due to their properties, as friction-reducing, corrosion-inhibiting additives, or as release agents in lubricants or release agents. The functionally relevant ingredients 12 produced in the first phase 14 can contain one or more additional additives, such as antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, metal deactivators, binders, chelating agents, oxygen scavengers, antiwear agents, EP (extreme pressure) additives, biocides, bactericides, fungicides, pH regulators, emulsifiers, defoamers, odorants, surfactants, rheology modifiers, or colorants.

[0055] This first phase 14 is followed by a second utilization phase 18, in which the cell-based raw materials 12 are processed from the functionally relevant ingredients 16 and thus brought into a state that enables further processing for the desired secondary use in products 20. The processing step 24 can include measures suitable for recovering the cell-based raw material 12 used in the first phase 14, such as purification, drying, digestion, or separation of ingredients, as well as combinations thereof.

[0056] In the second phase 18, the cell-based raw materials 12 can be added to the products 20 as an additive or filler. Possible products 20 can include products made of wood, metal, polymeric materials, or ceramics; preferred are injection-molded products or 3D-printed components, as well as the exterior, interior, and design parts for motor vehicles produced therefrom.

[0057] At the end of the second phase 18, a third phase 26 can follow, in which the cell-based raw material 12 is separated from the products 20 by means of a suitable recycling process and returned to the biosphere by thermal utilization.

[0058] Since the process according to the invention allows for the direct use of predominantly entire cells, energy and material consumption can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, a cascading utilization concept can reduce waste and save raw materials. At the same time, this opens up new possibilities for long-term CO2 sequestration.

[0059] 10 processes 12 cell-based raw materials

[0060] 14 first phase

[0061] 16 functional ingredients

[0062] 18 second phase

[0063] 20 Products 22 Preparation Steps

[0064] 24 processing steps

[0065] 26 third phase

Claims

Patent claims 1. A process (10) for the cascaded use of cell-based raw materials (12), comprising the following phases: a first phase (14) in which cell-based raw materials (12) with a proportion of at least 10% hydrocarbons are used unprocessed to produce functionally relevant ingredients (16), a second phase (18) in which the cell-based raw materials (12) are processed from the functionally relevant ingredients (16) and used as an additive in products (20).

2. Method (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the second phase (18) is followed by a third phase (26) in which the cell-based raw material (12) is separated from the products (20) by means of a suitable recycling process and is fed into the biosphere by thermal utilization.

3. Method (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cell-based raw materials (12) are selected from the group comprising plant cells, bacteria, fungi, algae, microalgae or cyanobacteria.

4. Method (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cell-based raw materials (12) are microalgae and / or cyanobacteria.

5. Method (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that Nannochloropsis (NC) sp. is used as the microalgae.

6. Method (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cell-based raw material (12) is fed to a preparation step (22) in the first phase (14) before the production of the functionally relevant ingredients (16).

7. Method (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the functionally relevant ingredients (16) produced in the first phase (14) are used as Can be used as a friction reducer, wear reducer, corrosion inhibitor or release agent in lubricants or release agents.

8. Method (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the second phase (18) the cell-based raw material (12) is recovered from the functionally relevant ingredients (16) in a processing step (24).

9. Method (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the second phase (18) the cell-based raw material (12) is used as a filler or additive in products (20).

10. Method (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that products (20) are injection-molded products or 3D-printed components.

11. Motor vehicle comprising injection-molded products or 3D-printed components according to claim 10, manufactured by the method (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 9.

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