Medium chain length PHA copolymer and process for producing same
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorPhillip Richard Green
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Abstract
This invention relates to polymer production and in particular to a novel copolymer and a process for microbiologically producing the same. More specifically this invention provides for a poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) that includes medium length 3-hydroxyacyl monomers and a process comprising culturing a microorganism with a medium chain fatty carbon source and a fatty acid oxidation inhibitor. This invention allows the use of microorganisms which normally incorporate only short chain fatty acids to produce PHAs containing short and medium chain 3-hydroxyacyl monomers. The purpose of this invention is to produce a more versatile PHA polymer which includes C6, C7 and/or C8 3-hydroxyacyl monomers.
Claims18
A copolymer comprising, as repeating units,
- (i) 1-10 mol % of 3-bydroxyproprionate units (3HP) having the formula (I):
- —O—CH—CH2—CO— (I)
- (ii) 50-98 mol % of 3-hydroxybutyrate units (3HB) having the formula (II):
- (iii) -48 mol % of additional units, wherein the additional units are selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV) having the formula (III), hydroxyhexanoate (HH) having the formula (IV), 3-hydroxyheptanoate (HHp) having the formula (V) and mixtures thereof:
- (iv) 1-49 mol % of 3-hydroxyoctanoate (3HO) having the formula (VI):
A process for producing a copolymer comprising, as repeating units,
- (i) 1-10 mol % of 3-hydroxyproprionate units (3HP) having the formula (I):
- —O—CH—CH2—CO— (I)
- (ii) 50-98 mol % of 3-hydroxybutyrate units (3HB) having the formula (II):
- (iii) 1-49 mol % of additional units, wherein the additional units are selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV) having the formula (II), hydroxyhexanoate (HH) having the formula (IV), 3-hydroxyheptanoate (HHp) having the formula (V) 3-hydroxyoctanoate (3HO) having the formula (VI) and mixtures thereof:
- said process comprising culturing a microorganism capable of producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate, under at least one restricted condition and in the presence of one or more fatty acid oxidation inhibitor and a carbon source comprising a member selected from the group consisting of medium chain fatty acids, medium chain fatty acid salts, medium chain fatty alcohols, modified fatty acids, modified fatty acid salts, modified fatty alcohols and mixtures thereof.
A copolymer comprising, as repeating units,
- (i) 1-10 mol % of 3-hydroxyproprionate units (3HP) having the formula (I):
- —O—CH—CH2—CO— (I)
- (ii) 50-98 mol % of 3-hydroxybutyrate units (3HB) having the formula (II):
- (iii) 0-48 mol % of additional units, wherein the additional units are selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV) having the formula (III), hydroxyhexanoate (HH) having the formula (IV), 3-hydroxyheptanoate (HHp) having the formula (V) and mixtures thereof:
- (iv) 1-49 mol % of 3-hydroxyoctanoate (3HO) having the formula (VI):
- wherein the copolymer is made by a process comprising culturing a microorganism capable of producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate under at least one restricted condition and in the presence of one or more fatty acid oxidation inhibitor and a carbon source comprising a member selected from the group consisting of medium chain fatty acids, medium chain fatty acid salts, medium chain fatty alcohols, modified fatty acids, modified fatty acid salts, modified fatty alcohols and mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.