2nd Prize BIOPOLYMER Award 2024

TH Rosenheim (Germany)

Innovation: Microwave-assisted technology for the production of succinic acid

From the natural raw material lignocellulose to the bioplastic PBS: With the new technology developed by the University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim for producing succinic acid in a twin-screw extruder, this process could in future no longer be limited to large industrial plants, but also in medium-sized sawmills and wood processing companies.

Jury statementHighly efficient succinic acid production for medium-sized wood processors

Prof. Nicole Strübbe, Prof. Dirk Muscat, and Vitus Zenz from the Technical University of Rosenheim impressed the jury with a novel, highly efficient process for the production of succinic acid. Succinic acid is a platform chemical used, among other things, for the production of the biodegradable plastic polybutylene succinate (PBS, also known as polysuccinic acid). Due to its physical and chemical properties, it has the potential to replace mass-produced plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene in many applications. Waste from the wood industry is used as raw material for the patented, prototype-tested succinic acid production process "made in Rosenheim." Production takes place in modified extruders, similar to those used tens of thousands of times in the plastics industry.

With this proven technological basis and investment costs expected to start at around €100,000, the new process, unlike previous technologies, is not only attractive to chemical companies and major investors, but also opens up previously unimagined business potential, particularly for medium-sized companies. Sawmills and other wood processors can use the technology to tap into new value chains as raw material suppliers, for example, for the plastics industry.

The efficiency of the process is exceptional. While the specialist literature usually reports yields of between 35 and 40 percent by weight, the Rosenheim-based team produced 500 to 600 grams of succinic acid per kilogram of wood in their pilot plant, and did so with minimal energy consumption. "The key is the right combination of acid catalysts and microwaves," reveals project initiator Vitus Zenz, who brought the idea back from a study trip to New Zealand and is currently working on his doctorate on the new process. The manufacturing process is designed to be almost infinitely scalable thanks to a modular structure. This allows companies to enter the business with a small plant and gradually expand it by installing additional or larger modules, depending on available resources and customer demand.

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