A study to improve the Extraction Yields of poly 3-hydroxybutyrate from Burkholderia sacchari cells avoiding chlorinated solvents

This work addresses the extraction of the biodegradable polymers named poly-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from the micro-organisms producers. A new recovery method for poly3hydroxy-butyrate(P3HB) is developed, which should be economical, effective, environmental friendly and easy to industrialize. The aim is to abandon the old chloroform-based extraction technique. Aqueous extractions and green solvents are studied, with a final simulation of a large scale production plant to estimate costs