Method for producing polylactic acid and corresponding device

1. Process for producing polylactic acid comprising:

a) fermentative recovery of lactic acid from starch-containing agricultural products, wherein the growth promoters are recovered continuously from the starting material by alkaline extraction.

b) ultrapurification of the lactic acid by ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and/or electrodialysis,

c) concentration of the lactic acid and production of a prepolymer,

d) cyclizing depolymerization to form the dilactide,

e) purification of the dilactide,

f) ring-opening polymerization of the dilactide,

g) demonomerization of the polylactide.

2. Process according to claim 1 , wherein in process step a) some of the external growth promoter components originally supplied with the nutrient solution and utilized by the bacteria is made available again to the activated cells directly in the fermentation circuit by lysis, which is realized thermally, by radiation or enzymes, of excess biomass formed.

3. Process according to claim 2 , wherein the starch-containing agricultural products, are ground and a first part of the product is subjected to starch hydrolysis and the recovered glucose solution is reacted with a bacterium under anaerobic conditions in a fermenter, wherein the second part of the product is subjected to alkaline extraction and the protein extract obtained is supplied to the fermenter as a growth promoter source and the undissolved starch-containing residue is supplied to starch hydrolysis.

4. Process according to claim 3 , wherein the starch-containing agricultural product is a grain.

5. Process according to claim 4 , wherein the grain is selected from the group consisting of rye, wheat barley, triticale flour, maize, rice, and cassava.

6. Process according to claim 2 wherein the agricultural product is subjected to starch hydrolysis and the residual solid being produced during starch hydrolysis is additionally subjected to alkaline extraction and the protein extract obtained is supplied to the fermenter as growth promoter source.

7. Process according to claim 2 , wherein the excess biomass obtained during fermentation is passed to a separate circuit, lysed there and then returned to the fermenter.

8. Process according to claim 2 , wherein to maintain the concentration of the biomass in the fermenter at the required level via a regulating process, so much biomass is lysed per unit of time as biomass has grown.

9. Process according to claim 3 , wherein starch hydrolysis, which is carried out in the form of a two-stage enzymatic process, is coupled with protein extract recovery.

10. Process according to claim 9 , wherein the starch is liquefied in the first stage using the enzyme α-amylase and saccharified in the second stage using the enzyme glucoamylase.

11. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the agricultural product is a grain.

12. Process according to claim 2 , wherein individual or mixed cultures of the strains Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus or Pediococcus , is used for fermentation.

13. Process according to claim 3 , wherein the hydrolysate and/or the protein extract or the nutrient extract are sterilized.

14. Process according to claim 13 , characterized in that the hydrolysate and the nutrient or protein extracts are sterilized separately.

15. Process according to claim 1 , wherein fermentation is carried out continuously and the separation and purification of the lactic acid is effected using membrane separation processes.

16. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration (process step c)) is carried out so that an at least 90% strength lactic acid is present.

17. Process according to claim 16 , wherein concentration is effected by two-stage evaporation and super-concentration, wherein the heat of condensation of the second stage is utilized for evaporation in the 1st stage.

18. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the cyclizing depolymerization is carried out in a falling-film evaporator.

19. Process according to claim 1 , wherein in process step e), purification is carried out to a hydroxyl group concentration <25 meq.

20. Process according to claim 18 , wherein lactide purification takes place in a rectification column.

21. Process according to claim 1 , wherein the ring-opening polymerization of the dilactide (process step f)) is carried out at a catalyst concentration of 2 ×10 −4 to 2×10 −5 mole per mole.

22. Process according to claim 1 , wherein a stabilizer, which blocks the catalyst, is added before demonomerization.

23. Device for carrying out the process according to claim 1 , comprising in each case at least one mixing device, a hydrolysis device, a fermenter, an ultrapurification device, a concentrator, a polycondensation device, a depolymerization device, an ultrapurification device for the dilactide, a reactor for polymerization and a demonomerization device.

24. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the hydrolysis device is connected to at least one protein extractor.

25. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the hydrolysis device has an ultrafiltration module situated in the external circuit.

26. Device according to claim 23 , wherein at least one sterilisation device is connected upstream of the at least one fermenter.

27. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the fermenter has an ultrafiltration module situated in the external circuit.

28. Device according to claim 23 , wherein a nanofiltration device, a monopolar electrodialysis device and a bipolar electrodialysis device are provided connected in series as ultrapurification device.

29. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the concentration device is designed to have three stages and consists of evaporators and arranged in series and a downstream superconcentrator.

30. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the polycondensation device comprises two reactors and with an external circulating evaporator.

31. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the depolymerization device is a falling-film evaporator.

32. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the ultrapurification device for dilactide purification is at least one rectification column.

33. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the reactor for ring-opening polymerization is a stirred vessel cascade having at least two reactors.

34. Device according claim 23 , wherein the depolymerization device consists of a vacuum reactor and an annular disc reactor.

35. Device according to claim 23 , wherein the depolymerization device has a thin-layer evaporator.