An integrated process for the production of chemicals from biologically derived succinic acid

An integrated process was developed for the production of industrial chemicals such as 1,4-butanediol, tetrahydrofuran, y-butyrolactone, N-methyl pyrrolidinone, and 2-pyrrolidinone, from corn-derived glucose. The first step of the process is the production of succinic acid by fermentation of glucose using a new Escherichia coli strain (ATCC 202021), which over-produces succinic acid under anaerobic conditions. The fermentation process consists of two stages. In the first stage, the cells are grown under aerobic conditions until a critical cell mass is achieved. In the second stage, anaerobic conditions are applied to begin succinic acid production. This fermentation process has been successfully scaled up in a 500-liter fermenter. The succinic acid produced in the fermentation process is recovered by a two-stage desalting and water-splitting electrodialysis. The purified succinic acid then is catalytically converted to the final desired products. Using 1,4-butanediol as an example, an economic analysis shows that this integrated process can compete favorably with the currently used chemical processes.