BioFermPro

The aim of the two-year project is to develop customized, innovative biosurfactants for eco-certified detergents and cleaning agents. Instead of conventional synthetic or vegetable surfactants based on palm oil, microbial biosurfactants are used, which are produced with the help of microorganisms from renewable, regional raw, residual or waste materials and are therefore completely free of palm oil or tropical oils.

Funding period:                        

1.1.2023 – 31.12.2024

Reference number:

BMWK (Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand ZIM) 16KN054029

The BioFermPro project focuses on the use of the glycolipids mannosylerythritol (MEL) and cellobioselipids (CL) in detergents. Various MEL and CL variants are produced by fermentation. Hydrophobic substrates and sugar are used as raw materials for cultivating the microorganisms. In order to obtain a product that is as sustainable as possible, mainly residual and waste materials can be used, e.g. cooking oil waste or residual materials from the food industry such as molasses from the sugar beet industry. Another key aim of the project is to reduce the production costs of biosurfactants by evaluating different degrees of purification during biosurfactant extraction (from raw extract with 50% purity to a purity of 95%) in order to facilitate the marketing of the end products.

The biosurfactants produced could be used in a variety of product types, both in liquid and powder detergents. These biosurfactants are initially tested individually by our project partner Remsgold for their cleaning performance for the individual applications (cleaning agents, washing-up liquids, detergents). After evaluating the results and estimating a possible pH range, the most promising samples are assigned to the individual applications. Once an application area has been assigned, interactions with typical ingredients are investigated, as well as the pH stability in the desired range and thus the cleaning performance of the biosurfactant, taking into account the application and other important ingredients. After re-selecting the best performing variants, these are incorporated into typical formulations for the respective application and the cleaning or washing performance is determined again. Only when these tests are positive is the formulation fine-tuned to take advantage of possible synergistic effects between ingredients or to minimize negative interactions.