Acrylamide biocatalytic production, Mitsubishi

Another interesting example is Mitsubishi s new route for the biocatalytic production of acrylamide [155], an intermediate produced in over 100 000 tons per year. The biocatalytic route (Figure 2.20a) is somewhat simpler than the chemical process (Cu catalyst). It is based on immobilized whole cells of Rh. rhodocrous J1 and operates under mild conditions (5 °C), that is, no polymerization inhibitors... 

Figure 2.20 (a) Mitsubishi s new route for the biocatalytic production of acrylamide (b) and (c) DuPont and Lonza bioroutes, respectively, for the hydrolysis of nitriles. 

FIGURE 9.20. Biocatalytic production of acrylamide Mitsubishi process. 

The biocatalytic acrylamide process is run by the Nitto Chemical Corp., now part of the Mitsubishi Rayon Corp., in Tokyo Bay on a scale of 30 000 tpy, in fed-batch mode up to 25-40% acrylamide at 0-10°C to complete conversion and with product yields > 99.9%, conditions under which a significant cost differential can be assumed with respect to the conventional chemical process. 

Another example in which a biocatalytic transformation has replaced a chemo-catalytic one, in a very simple reaction, is the Mitsubishi Rayon process for the production of acrylamide by hydration of acrylonitrile (Fig. 1.42). Whole cells of Rhodococcus rhodocrous, containing a nitrile hydratase, produced acrylamide in >99.9% purity at >99.9% conversion, and in high volumetric and space time yields [121]. The process (Fig. 1.42) currently accounts for more than 100000 tons annual production of acrylamide and replaced an existing process which employed a copper catalyst. A major advantage of the biocatalytic process is the high product purity, which is important for the main application of acrylamide as a specialty monomer. 

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