Concentrated Beet Juice Fermentation for Lactic Acid
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Solution Overview
Problem
The fermentation of crude sugar sources, such as raw sugar beet juice, to lactic acid on an industrial scale is complicated due to issues like sensitivity to infections, storage stability, and high costs associated with low sugar concentration, making it unsuitable as a substrate.
Innovation Solution
Concentrated raw beet juice with a Brix of at least 60 is used for fermentation, which is stable and less sensitive to infections, achieving similar yield, chemical purity, optical purity, and taste as lactic acid produced from white sugar, through a process involving heating, evaporation, and optional liquid-solid separation steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If raw sugar beet juice is used as fermentation substrate, then production costs are reduced, but the substrate becomes sensitive to infections and has poor storage stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by concentrating the raw sugar beet juice to at least 60°Brix before fermentation. This pre-concentration step removes water and creates an environment less favorable for microbial infections and degradation, thereby improving storage stability while maintaining high sugar content for efficient fermentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of the sugar beet juice from typical raw juice levels (around 16% sugar) to a high concentration of at least 60°Brix. This parameter change fundamentally alters the substrate properties, making it stable for storage and transport while remaining suitable for lactic acid fermentation.
2Quantity of substance
If raw sugar beet juice is used as fermentation substrate, then production costs are reduced, but transport and storage costs increase due to low concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter from low (raw juice) to high (at least 60°Brix), which reduces volume and weight for the same amount of fermentable sugar. This directly lowers transport and storage costs while maintaining the quantity of fermentable substrate.
3Productivity
If concentrated raw beet juice is used for fermentation, then yield and purity are maintained, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter change (concentration to at least 60°Brix) to achieve a dual benefit: maintaining high fermentation yield and purity while simplifying the overall process. The high concentration reduces the need for extensive downstream processing and eliminates the need for sterilization steps, offsetting the added complexity of concentration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for successful industrial-scale fermentation of lactic acid with high yield and purity, reducing costs and overcoming previous substrate limitations, while maintaining the quality of lactic acid produced from sucrose.
Implementation Method 1
The concentrated raw beet juice is prepared by subjecting the raw juice to a heating step at a temperature between 50 and 90° C.
Implementation Method 2
concentrating the raw beet juice to a Brix of at least 60
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is in the field of the preparation of lactic acid by means of fermentation on industrial scale wherein a concentrated raw beet juice having a Brix of at least 60 is used as fermentation substrate. After dilution to the desired initial sugar concentration and addition of nutrients, the juice is fermented to lactic acid and/or lactate by means of a lactic acid-producing microorganism. Said concentrated raw beet juice is prepared by: washing and cutting sugar beet and extracting the cossettes in water, removing the beet pulp from the resulting raw beet juice, and heat treating the raw beet juice at a temperature between 50 and 90 degrees Celsius, and concentrating the raw beet juice to at least 60 Brix.It was found that concentrated beet juice having a Brix of at least 60 is storage-stable, is not very sensitive to infections, and can be used as fermentation substrate for lactic acid production on industrial scale with the same yield, chemical purity, optical purity, clarity and taste as lactic acid obtained from fermenting white sugar.