06.25.16
Evonik is commercializing biosurfactants, as it is now the first in the world to use biotech methods for producing industrial-scale quantities of high quality surfactants. The achievement has been made possible by more than five years of research. Evonik scientists from Germany, China, and Slovakia were involved in the project. Evonik is primarily targeting its new biosurfactants at the attractive growth markets for household and personal care products.
“Increasing prosperity has meant access to modern cleaning and personal care products for more and more people throughout the world. Biosurfactants promise significant growth and will complement our conventionally manufactured products,” explained Hans Henning Wenk, head of research for biobased materials within Evonik’s Nutrition & Care Segment.
The first household cleansers containing Evonik biosurfactants are already available to consumers in supermarkets. These products contain what are known as sophorolipids, which are produced in nature by a yeast and which can be found in the honey produced by bumblebees, among other sources. Evonik intends to work closely with key international customers in order to tap into other sophorolipid applications quickly.
The company also plans to develop and market another class of biosurfactants known as rhamnolipids. These materials have exceptional foam-forming properties, which will open up additional applications as a result.
Evonik biosurfactants meet all of the requirements of modern surfactants. They have good cleaning properties, are gentle on the skin, and completely biodegrade more quickly. At the same time, these materials are even more gentle to aquatic organisms such as algae and daphnia.
Without surfactants it would not be possible to maintain modern standards of cleanliness and hygiene. One of the jobs that surfactants perform is to enable oil and water to mix. This is what makes it possible to remove grease spots using water and a detergent.
Up to now, surfactants have been produced almost exclusively through synthetic processes. The raw materials used most often in these processes are petroleum and tropical oils such as palm kernel oil and coconut oil. In nature, however, microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria produce surfactants as well. There are bacteria, for instance, that use these biosurfactants for gaining access to oil as a food source.
“Biotechnological methods allow surfactants to be produced without petroleum or tropical oils. We can feed the microorganisms with just sugar and rapeseed oil. This significantly expands Evonik’s raw material base,” Wenk noted.
“Increasing prosperity has meant access to modern cleaning and personal care products for more and more people throughout the world. Biosurfactants promise significant growth and will complement our conventionally manufactured products,” explained Hans Henning Wenk, head of research for biobased materials within Evonik’s Nutrition & Care Segment.
The first household cleansers containing Evonik biosurfactants are already available to consumers in supermarkets. These products contain what are known as sophorolipids, which are produced in nature by a yeast and which can be found in the honey produced by bumblebees, among other sources. Evonik intends to work closely with key international customers in order to tap into other sophorolipid applications quickly.
The company also plans to develop and market another class of biosurfactants known as rhamnolipids. These materials have exceptional foam-forming properties, which will open up additional applications as a result.
Evonik biosurfactants meet all of the requirements of modern surfactants. They have good cleaning properties, are gentle on the skin, and completely biodegrade more quickly. At the same time, these materials are even more gentle to aquatic organisms such as algae and daphnia.
Without surfactants it would not be possible to maintain modern standards of cleanliness and hygiene. One of the jobs that surfactants perform is to enable oil and water to mix. This is what makes it possible to remove grease spots using water and a detergent.
Up to now, surfactants have been produced almost exclusively through synthetic processes. The raw materials used most often in these processes are petroleum and tropical oils such as palm kernel oil and coconut oil. In nature, however, microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria produce surfactants as well. There are bacteria, for instance, that use these biosurfactants for gaining access to oil as a food source.
“Biotechnological methods allow surfactants to be produced without petroleum or tropical oils. We can feed the microorganisms with just sugar and rapeseed oil. This significantly expands Evonik’s raw material base,” Wenk noted.