UNIVERSITAS INDONESIA

FERMENTATIVE PRODUCTION OF GLUCONIC ACID

Draft Assignment 1

GROUP 05
GROUP PERSONNEL:
ALWENDO GUNAWAN (1506723452)
DIMAS RAHADI PITOYO (1506673473)
SAMSON PATAR SIPANGKAR (1506723774)
WIDA ADELIA PUTRI (1506673290)
YAZIDIE RIZQI ISNAINDI (1506728434)

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

ENGINEERING FACULTY
UNIVERSITAS INDONESIA
SEPTEMBER 2018
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
[ini isi exsum]

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 LIST OF CONTENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................... ii

LIST OF CONTENT ............................................................................... iii
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................... iv
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................. v
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUTION ................................................................ 1
1.1 Background .................................................................................. 1
1.2 Review of Literature ................................................................... 2
1.2.1 Fermentation ............................................................................ 2
1.2.2 Gluconic Acid .......................................................................... 6
1.2.3 Glucose .................................................................................... 9
1.3 Market Analysis ......................................................................... 12
1.4 Raw Material Analysis .............................................................. 14
1.4.1 Glucose .................................................................................. 14
1.4.2 Fermentation Agent ............................................................... 16
1.5 Plant Location Analysis ............................................................ 18
CHAPTER 2 PROCESS SELECTION ................................................ 20
2.1 Raw Material Selection ............................................................. 20
2.1.1 Sugarcane .............................................................................. 21
2.1.2 Carbohydrate-Containing Waste ........................................... 21
2.2 Process Synthesis ....................................................................... 21
2.2.1 Process Production Method Selection ................................... 22
2.2.2 Selection of Fermentation Process ........................................ 23
2.2.3 Fermentation Agent ............................................................... 25
2.2.4 Process Selection ................................................................... 27
2.3 Block Flow Diagram .................................................................. 27
2.4 Process Flow Diagram............................................................... 27
2.4.1 Pre-Treatment Process ........................................................... 27
2.4.2 Incubation Process ................................................................. 27
2.4.3 Fermentation Reaction Process ............................................. 27
2.4.4 Purification Process ............................................................... 27
2.4.5 Drying Process ...................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 3 MASS AND ENERGY BALANCE ................................ 28
3.1 Mass Balance.............................................................................. 28
3.2 Energy Balance .......................................................................... 28
3.3 Product Conversion Efficiency................................................. 28
3.4 Product Yield ............................................................................. 28
3.5 Energy Consumption of Unit Product ..................................... 28
CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION ................................................................ 29
REFERENCE .......................................................................................... 30

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.1. General Characteristics of Gluconic Acid ................................. 7

Table 1.2. Physical Properties of Glucose ................................................ 10
Table 1.3. Sugar Content of Selected Common Plant Foods (g/100g) ..... 11
Table 1.4. Calculation of Production Capacity ......................................... 14
Table 2.1. Parameter of Scoring for Fermentation Method Selection ...... 24
Table 2.2. Scoring for Fermentation Method Selection ............................ 25
Table 2.3. Parameters for Fermentation Agent Selection ......................... 26

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1. Chemical Structure of Gluconic Acid....................................... 6

Figure 1.2. Indonesia Sugarcane Plantation Area Maps ........................... 15
Figure 1.3. Sugarcane Production Development ...................................... 16
Figure 2.1. Black Box Diagram ................................................................ 22

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 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUTION

1.1 Background
In moving toward sustainable clean technology regime, chemical and
biochemical process industries are gradually adopting bio-based production
strategies rather than pure chemical technologies. However, bio-based production
alone cannot ensure eco-friendliness of a process technology as downstream
separation–purification of the products often involves quite a few energy-intensive
steps that may require harsh chemicals also. This is where membrane-based
purification schemes are stepping in. In this context, development of a clean
technology for production of gluconic acid assumes significance. Being a
multifunctional organic acid, the gluconic acid (GA) has wide applications in food,
pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Pentahydroxycaproic acid, 𝐶 𝐻 𝑂 or gluconic acid, naturally occur in
6 12 7
plants, fruits, wine, honey, rice, meat, vinegar and other natural sources. The alkali
salt of gluconic acid such as calcium gluconate or sodium gluconate are extensively
used in chemical, pharmaceutical, food, beverages and construction industries
being a multifunctional carbonic acid. Due to multiple applications of metal
glutamates in different industries, the demand of gluconic acid is steadily increasing
globally. By virtue of low toxicity, low corrosiveness and high capability of
forming water-soluble complexes with divalent and trivalent metal ions, sodium
gluconate has been designated as GRAS (generally recognised as safe) by the US-
FDA (United States-Food and Drug Administration). Some specific properties of
gluconic acid permits its wide applications in preventing the deposition of milk
stone or in removing it in dairy industry and in preventing cloudiness in beverages.
Gluconic acid is also used as an additive in cement to control the setting and
increase the strength and water resistance. This organic acid can produce and
improve the taste and can form complexes with metal ions in various foods. It is
also used as water conditioner by removing alkali and protein films. The non-
corrosiveness nature of this acid may be used as gentle metal cleaning agent where

cleaning and degreasing of ferrous and non-ferrous metal ions like Ca2+, Fe2+,

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Al3+ and other heavy metals is possible. Sodium gluconate is used in the shampoo
and toothpaste as a chelator. In dishwashing and laundry detergent application, this
acid can replace toxic phosphates which are harmful to the bio-environment. It can
be used with artificial sweetener. For its non-corrosiveness nature, gluconic acid is
added in low concentration in water recirculation systems such as cooling towers
and heat exchangers. Gluconic acid finds application in tanning, textile industry and
in fermented tea for its anti-microbial activity.
In last 20 years, demand of gluconic acid has increased steadily reaching
60,000 tons per year. Market researcher Global Industry Analysts predicts that the
global market for organic acids will amount to EUR 1 billion by 2016, driven by
increasing demand in developing economies, stable demand for meat and meat
products from the developed economies and, a growing global population. And
some industry sources consider this figure as conservative. Use of gluconic acid
and its derivatives is currently restricted in many cases because of high prices which
is about USD 1.2–8.5/kg due to use of glucose as substrate and the system specific
requirements during fermentation. However, its increasing demand in different
industries has spurred interest in the development of an effective and economically
viable system for gluconic acid production.
1.2 Review of Literature
This report will mainly discuss about Fermentation, Glucose and Gluconic
Acid. Therefore, in this sub-chapter are some theories about it such as what is
Fermentation, Fermentation method and agent, what is glucose, the properties,
occurrence and also its application.
1.2.1 Fermentation
Fermentation is a metabolic process that consumes sugar in the absence of
oxygen. The products are organic acids, gases, or alcohol. It occurs in yeast and
bacteria, and also in oxygen-starved muscle cells, as in the case of lactic acid
fermentation. The science of fermentation is known as zymology.
1.2.1.1 Fermentation Method
There are so many ways to ferment but we have shrunk to 2 sections which
is Solid State Fermentation and Submerged Fermentation.
a) Solid-State Fermentation

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Solid State Fermentation has been widely used and has gained
renewed attention as an alternative for submerged fermentation. It
provides the opportunity for economical production of fermented food,
amino acids and flavor inducing compounds by inducing the natural
growth on water- insoluble solid support in the absence or near absence
of free liquid medium. SSF is better than submerged culture due to less
variation of osmotic pressure, DO concentration, availability of water
and nutrients. Buckwheat substrate was used as SSF medium for the
production of spores of Aspergillus niger and these entrapped spores
were used for the bioconversion of glucose to gluconic acid with
conversion rate of 1.06 g per mass of glucose without any nitrogen
source.
b) Aerobic Submerged Fermentation
Submerged fermentation is a process involving the development of
microorganisms in a liquid broth. This liquid broth contains nutrients
and it results in the production of industrial enzymes, antibiotics or other
products. The process involves taking a specific microorganism such, as
fungi, and placing it in a small closed flask containing the rich nutrient
broth. A high volume of oxygen is also required for the process. The
production of enzymes then occurs when the fungi interact with the
nutrients on the broth resulting in them being broken down. At industrial
level this production of yeasts has become a major output of
microbiological industries as a result of improved fermentation
technologies. Fermentation in industries is carried out using fermenters
which are large vessels which can store huge volumes. In an effort to
reduce nitrogen and carbon levels, microorganisms secrete enzymes in
the selected medium. There are two common methods by which
submerged fermentation takes place; they are batch-fed fermentation
and continuous fermentation. In batch-fed fermentation sterilised
growth nutrients are added to a culture. It is most common in bio-
industries as it occurs during the growth of bio-mass in the fermenter. It
helps raise the cell density in the bioreactor and it is typically highly

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concentrated to stop dilution. The rate of growth in the culture is

maintained by adding nutrients, this also reduces the risk of overflow
metabolism. An open system is constructed for continuous fermentation.
Then sterilised liquid nutrients are slowly and continuously added to
the bioreactor at the same rate at which the converted nutrient solution
is being recovered from the system. This results in a steady-rate
production of the fermentation broth. In order to maintain a successful
fermentation, certain variable must be monitored, for example,
temperature, pH, as well as oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
1.2.1.2 Fermentation Agent
a) Pseudomonas fluorescens
Pseudomonas fluorescens is a member of the fluorescent
pseudomonad group and (unlike P. aeruginosa) has generally been
regarded to be of low virulence and an infrequent cause of human
infection. However, it has been reported to cause infections such as
blood transfusion-related septicemia, catheter-related bacteremia, and
peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients.
Pseudomonas fluorescens is a rod-shaped aerobic, non-lactose-
fermenting, Gram-negative bacterium. It can survive and replicate in
moist reservoirs, and as a result, nosocomial outbreaks often lead to the
investigation of water sources. Optimal growth generally occurs at
lower temperatures than those for P. aeruginosa, which can make
identification difficult at the standard microbiology laboratory
incubation temperature of 37°C. It can grow at temperatures as low as
4°C, temperatures at which blood products, distilled water, and
disinfectants provide the ideal environment for proliferation.
b) Gluconobacter oxydans
Gluconobacter oxydans, previously known as Acetobacter
suboxydans, are Gram-negative rod or oval shaped bacteria ranging
from about 0.5 to 0.8mm x to 4.2mm. The name oxy from
Gluconobacter oxydans is Latin for 'sharp' and 'acidic', and dans is
'giving'. They tend to have a small genome size because of their limited

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metabolic abilities. These abilities include partially oxidizing

carbohydrates and alcohols through the process of oxidative
fermentation, and they can be used for synthesis of Vitamin C, D-
gluconis acid and ketogluconic acids. G. oxydans are found in flowers,
fruits, garden soil, alcoholic beverages, cider, and soft drinks because
they contain strains capable of growing in high concentrations of sugar
solutions and low pH values (optimal pH for growth is 5.5-6.0).
Although they are able to grow in extreme conditions, their growth rate
is slow, and the concentration of mature cells are low. The importance
of G. oxydans is its ability to incompletely oxidize carbon substrates
such as D-sorbitol, glycerol, D-fructose, and D-glucose for the use in
biotechnological instruments. Conversion of D-glucose into 2,5-
diketogluconic acid is mediated by membrane bound NADP + -
independent three dehydrogenases [glucose dehydrogenase (GDH),
gluconate dehydrogenase (GADH) and 2-ketogluconate dehydrogenase
(2KGADH)]
c) Aspergillus Niger
Aspergillus niger forms easily recognized black or dark brown
colonies, as do the closely related species A. carbonarius, which
produces conidia 7–10 μm in diameter and A. awamori, which produces
finely roughened conidia. A. awamori is used in food fermentations and
is perhaps a domesticated form of A. niger. A. niger and closely related
species (A. carbonarius, A. awamori, A. aculeatus and A. japonicus) all
belong in Aspergillus Section Nigri.
Aspergillus niger is more prevalent in warmer climates, both in field
situations and stored foods. The black spores apparently provide
protection from sunlight and UV irradiation, providing a competitive
advantage in such habitats. A. niger is very frequently isolated from sun-
dried products such as vine fruits where it may produce ochratoxin A.
Aspergillus niger is among the most common fungi isolated from
nuts (peanuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, kola nuts, coconut
and copra). Cereals and oilseeds are also frequent sources, especially

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maize, but A. niger can be isolated from almost any type of stored
commodity. Dried, smoked and cured fish and meat products are other
common sources.
Growth temperatures for Aspergillus niger are minimum, 6–8 °C,
maximum, 45–47 °C and optimum 35–37 °C. A. niger is a xerophile:
reported germination at 0.77 aw at 35 °C. A. niger is able to grow down
to pH 2.0 at high aw.
Until relatively recently, Aspergillus niger was regarded as a benign
fungus, and has been widely used in food processing.
1.2.2 Gluconic Acid
Gluconic acid is produced from glucose through a simple dehydrogenation
reaction catalysed by glucose oxidase. Oxidation of the aldehyde group on the C-1
of b-D-glucose to a carboxyl group results in the production of glucono-d-lactone
and hydrogen peroxide. Glucono-d-lactone is further hydrolysed to gluconic acid
either spontaneously or by lactone hydrolysing enzyme, while hydrogen peroxide
is decomposed to water and oxygen by peroxidase. The conversion process could
be purely chemical. However, the most commonly involved method is the
fermentation process.

Figure 1.1. Chemical Structure of Gluconic Acid

Source: [apa toy?]
1.2.2.1 Properties of Gluconic Acid
Gluconic acid is a noncorrosive, nonvolatile, non-toxic, mild organic acid.
It imparts a refreshing sour taste in many food items such as wine and fruit juices,
Sodium gluconate has a high sequestering power. It is a good chelator at alkaline
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pH; its action is comparatively better than EDTA, NTA and other chelators.
Aqueous solutions of sodium gluconate are resistant to oxidation and reduction at
high temperatures. It is an efficient plasticizer and a highly efficient set retarder. It
is easily biodegradable (98% at 48 hours). It has an interesting property of inhibiting
bitterness in foodstuffs. Concentrated gluconic acid solution contains certain
lactone structures (neutral cyclic ester) showing antiseptic property. The
characterisitics are described in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1. General Characteristics of Gluconic Acid

Noncorrosive, mildly acidic, less
irritating, nonodorous, nontoxic, easily
Nature biodegradable, nonvolatile organic
acid

Relative molecular mass 196.16

Chemical formula C6H12O7

Synonym 2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexanoic acid

pKa 3.7

Melting Point (50% solution) Lower than 12 °C


Boiling Point (50% solution) Higher than 100 °C


Density 1.24 g/mL


Appearance Clear to brown


Solubility Soluble in water


Sourness Mild, soft, refreshing taste

Degree of sourness (sourness of citric

29 - 35
acid is regarded as 100)
Source: [Jurnal yg mane toy]
1.2.2.2 Gluconic Acid Occurrence
Gluconic acid is abundantly available in plants, fruits and other foodstuffs
such as rice, meat, dairy products, wine (up to 0.25 %), honey (up to 1 %), and
vinegar. It is produced by different microorganisms as well, which include bacteria
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such as Pseudomonas ovalis, Acetobacter methanolicus, Zymomonas mobilis,

Acetobacter diazotrophicus, Gluconobacter oxydans, Gluconobacter suboxydans,
and Azospirillum brasiliense. Furthermore, gluconic acid could produce by fungi,
such as Aspergillus niger, Penicillium funiculosum, P. variabile, P. amagasakiense,
and various other species such as Gliocladium, Scopulariopsis, Gonatobotrys,
Endomycopsis, also yeasts such as Aureobasidium pullulans (formerly known as
Dematium or Pullularia pullulans). Ectomycorrhizal fungus Tricholoma robustum,
which is associated with the roots of Pinus densiflora, was found to synthesise
gluconic acid.
1.2.2.3 Application of Gluconic Acid
Gluconic acid is a mild organic acid, which finds applications in the food
industry. As stated above, it is a natural constituent in fruit juices and honey and is
used in the pickling of foods. Its inner ester, glucono-d-lactone imparts an initially
sweet taste which later becomes slightly acidic. It is used in meat and dairy products,
particularly in baked goods as a component of leavening agent for preleavened
products. It is used as a flavouring agent (for example, in sherbets) and it also finds
application in reducing fat absorption in doughnuts and cones. Foodstuffs
containing D-glucono-d-lactone include bean curd, yoghurt, cottage cheese, bread,
confectionery and meat.
In general, gluconic acid and its salts are used in the formulation of food,
pharmaceutical and hygienic products. They are also used as mineral supplements
to prevent the deficiency of calcium, iron, also as buffer salts. Different salts of
gluconic acid find various applications based on their properties. Sodium salt of
gluconic acid has the outstanding property to chelate calcium and other divalent and
trivalent metal ions. It is used in the bottle washing preparations, where it helps in
the prevention of scale formation and its removal from glass. It is well suited for
removing calcareous deposits from metals and other surfaces, including milk or
beer scale on galvanised iron or stainless steel. Its property of sequestering iron over
a wide range of pH is exploited in the textile industry, where it prevents the
deposition of iron and for desizing polyester and polyamide fabrics. It is also used
in metallurgy for alkaline derusting, as well as in the washing of painted walls and
removal of metal carbonate precipitates with- out causing corrosion. It also finds

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application as an additive to cement, controlling the setting time and in- creasing
the strength and water resistance of the cement. It helps in the manufacture of frost
and crack resistant concretes. It is also used in the household cleaning compounds
such as mouthwashes.
Calcium gluconate is used in pharmaceutical industry as a source of calcium
for treating calcium deficiency by oral or intravenous administration. It also finds a
place in animal nutrition. Iron gluconate and iron phosphogluconate are used in iron
therapy. Zinc gluconate is used as an ingredient for treating common cold, wound
healing and various diseases caused by zinc deficiencies such as delayed sexual
maturation, mental lethargy, skin changes, and susceptibility to infections.
1.2.3 Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula 𝐶6 𝐻12 𝑂6. Glucose is
the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is
mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and
carbon dioxide, using energy from sunlight. There it is used to
make cellulose in cell walls, which is the most abundant carbohydrate. In energy
metabolism, Glucose is the most important source of energy in all organisms.
Glucose for metabolism is partially stored as a polymer, in plants mainly
as starch and amylopectin and in animals as glycogen. Glucose circulates in the
blood of animals as blood sugar. The naturally occurring form of glucose is D-
glucose, while L-glucose is produced synthetically in comparably small amounts
and is of lesser importance.
1.2.3.1 Glucose Chemical Properties
With six carbon atoms, it is classed as a hexose, a subcategory of the
monosaccharides. D-Glucose is one of the sixteen aldohexose stereoisomers.
The D-isomer, D-glucose, also known as dextrose, occurs widely in nature, but
the L-isomer, L-glucose, does not. Glucose can be obtained by hydrolysis of
carbohydrates such as milk sugar, (lactose), cane sugar (sucrose), maltose, cellulose,
glycogen, etc. It is commonly commercially manufactured from cornstarch by
hydrolysis via pressurized steaming at controlled pH in a jet followed by further
enzymatic depolymerization. Unbonded glucose is one of the main ingredients
of honey. All forms of glucose are colorless and easily soluble in water, acetic acid,

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and several other solvents. They are only sparingly soluble in methanol and ethanol.
Glucose is a monosaccharide with formula 𝐶6 𝐻12 𝑂6 or H-(C=O)-
(CHOH)5-H, whose five hydroxyl (OH) groups are arranged in a specific way
along its six-carbon back. Glucose is usually present in solid form as
a monohydrate with a closed pyran ring (dextrose hydrate). In aqueous solution, on
the other hand, it has an open-chain to a small extent and is present predominantly
as α- or β-pyranose, which partially mutually merge by mutarotation. From aqueous
solutions, the three known forms can be crystallized: α-glucopyranose, β-
glucopyranose and β-glucopyranose hydrate. Glucose is a building block of the
disaccharides lactose and sucrose (cane or beet sugar), of oligosaccharides such as
raffinose and of polysaccharides such as starch and amylopectin, glycogen or
cellulose. The glass transition temperature of glucose is 31℃ and the Gordon-
Taylor constant (an experimentally determined constant for the prediction of the
glass transition temperature for different mass fractions of a mixture of two
substances) is 4.5. Glucose is no toxic chemical compound and have highly
combustible. This compound also finely dispersed particles that become explosive
when exposed to air.
1.2.3.2 Glucose Physical Properties
The physical properties of glucose can be used to characterize matter and
energy also their interactions. The phase of glucose can be solid or liquid depending
from the source. This compound has a sweet taste, but not have an odor. Glucose is
soluble in water and acetic acid. All forms of glucose are colorless also clear. The
another of glucose physical properties are described in Table 1.2.

Table 1.2. Physical Properties of Glucose

Property Value Unit
Δ𝑓 𝐺° -793.74 kJ/mole
Δ𝑓 𝐻°𝑔𝑎𝑠 -1035.02 kJ/mole
𝛥𝑓𝑢𝑠𝐻° 19.93 kJ/mole
𝛥𝐻°𝑣𝑎𝑝 117.51 kJ/mole
logPoct/wat -3.379 -
𝑃𝑐 6631.37 kPa
𝑇𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙 844.48 K
𝑇𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑡 419 K
𝑇𝑐 1034.02 K

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𝑇𝑓𝑢𝑠 423.00 ± 3.00 K

3
𝑉𝑐 0.46 m /kg mole
Density 1.54 g/cm³
Weight 180.16 g/mole
Source: chemeo.com
1.2.3.3 Sources of Glucose
Most dietary carbohydrates contain glucose, either as their only building
block (as in the polysaccharides starch and glycogen), or together with another
monosaccharide (as in the hetero-polysaccharides sucrose and lactose). Unbounded
glucose is one of the main ingredients of honey. The sources of glucose are
described in Table 1.3.

Table 1.3. Sugar Content of Selected Common Plant Foods (g/100g)

Sucrose
Total Fructose/ as a %
Total Free Free
Food Item Carbo- Sucrose Glucose of
Sugars Fructose Glucose
hydrate Ratio Total
Sugars
Apple 13.8 10.4 5.9 2.4 2.1 2.0 19.9
Apricot 11.1 9.2 0.9 2.4 5.9 0.7 63.5
Banana 22.8 12.2 4.9 5.0 2.4 1.0 20.0
Fig, dried 63.9 47.9 22.9 24.8 0.9 0.93 0.15
Grapes 18.1 15.5 8.1 7.2 0.2 1.1 1
Navel
12.5 8.5 2.25 2.0 4.3 1.1 50.4
orange
Peach 9.5 8.4 1.5 2.0 4.8 0.9 56.7
Pear 15.5 9.8 6.2 2.8 0.8 2.1 8.0
Pineapple 13.1 9.9 2.1 1.7 6.0 1.1 60.8
Plum 11.4 9.9 3.1 5.1 1.6 0.66 16.2
Beet, Red 9.6 6.8 0.1 0.1 6.5 1.0 96.2
Carrot 9.6 4.7 0.6 0.6 3.6 1.0 77
Red Pepper,
6.0 4.2 2.3 1.9 0.0 1.2 0.0
Sweet
Onion,
7.6 5.0 2.0 2.3 0.7 0.9 14.3
Sweet
Sweet
20.1 4.2 0.7 1.0 2.5 0.9 60.3
Potato
Yam 27.9 0.5 traces traces traces N/A traces
0.2 – 0.2 –
Sugarcane - 13–18 11–16 1.0 high
1.0 1.0
0.1 – 0.1 –
Sugar Beet - 17–18 16–17 1.0 high
0.5 0.5
Corn, Sweet 19.0 6.2 1.9 3.4 0.9 0.61 15.0
Source: Journal
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1.2.3.4 Glucose Function

Glucose can form from formaldehyde under abiotic conditions, so it may
well have been available to primitive biochemical systems. Probably more
important to advanced life is the low tendency of glucose, by comparison to other
hexose sugars, to non-specifically react with the amino groups of proteins. This
reaction (glycation) reduces or destroys the function of many enzymes. The low
rate of glycation is due to glucose's preference for the less reactive cyclic isomer.
Nevertheless, many of the long-term complications of diabetes (e.g., blindness,
kidney failure, and peripheral neuropathy) are probably due to the glycation of
proteins or lipids. In contrast, enzyme-regulated addition of glucose to proteins by
glycosylation is often essential to their function.
Glucose is a ubiquitous fuel in biology. It is used as an energy source in
most organisms, from bacteria to humans. Use of glucose may be by either aerobic
or anaerobic respiration (fermentation). Carbohydrates are the human body's key
source of energy, through aerobic respiration, providing approximately 4
kilocalories (17 kilojoules) of food energy per gram. Breakdown of carbohydrates
(e.g. starch) yields mono- and disaccharides, most of which is glucose. Through
glycolysis and later in the reactions of the Citric acid cycle (TCAC), glucose is
oxidized to eventually form CO2 and water, yielding energy, mostly in the form of
ATP. The insulin reaction, and other mechanisms, regulate the concentration of
glucose in the blood. A high fasting blood sugar level is an indication of prediabetic
and diabetic conditions.
Use of glucose as an energy source in cells is via aerobic or anaerobic
respiration. Both of that starts with the early steps of the glycolysis metabolic
pathway. The first step of this is the phosphorylation of glucose by hexokinase to
prepare it for later breakdown to provide energy. The major reason for the
immediate phosphorylation of glucose by a hexokinase is to prevent diffusion out
of the cell. The phosphorylation adds a charged phosphate group so the glucose 6-
phosphate cannot easily cross the cell membrane. Irreversible first steps of a
metabolic pathway are common for regulatory purposes.
1.3 Market Analysis
Gluconic Acid (also called as Sodium Gluconate) can be used in food,

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pharmaceutical products, and chemical industries which may contribute towards

industry growth. Currently, food industry consists of the largest market share due
to its high use as an acidulant in the meat processing industry and recognized as a
generally permitted food additive. In medicinal application in pharmaceuticals, the
high demand comes up from calcium therapy and treatment to become the fastest
growing segment in the application type.
Based on H.A. El-Enshasy () data journal, demand of gluconic acid has
increased steadily reaching 60,000 tons per year in last 20 years. The growth of the
gluconic acid industry in Indonesia especially from fermentative methods is
expected to grow up rapidly in line with the growing need for carbonic acid as an
additive in food and beverages industry. Gluconic acid primarily occurs and imparts
a refreshing sour taste in many food items such as honey, fruit juice, wine, meat,
and dairy products. It is placed in beverages such as lemonade for acidification, as
it is a fairly weak acid that has a neutral taste. Breweries and creameries tend to use
them to prevent calcification during the processing of beer and milk. It also is
included with processed vegetables and fruits, along with their additives and for
preparations.
Gluconic Acid dominates the market of organic acids due to its application
in various fields and produced 60,000 tonnes world-wide annually. It is available in
the market as 50% aqueous solution (by mass) and 99% purity crystal powder.
Indonesia is one of country which has been importing gluconic acid for several
years because no industry in Indonesia produced gluconic acid commercially.
Based on Foreign Trade Statistical Bulletin by BAPPENAS in December 2013,
Indonesia has been importing 7,329,946 kilograms of gluconic acid, salts and esters
cumulatively since 2013. The capacity for only gluconic acid is estimated around
30% from overall import capacity.
𝐺𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 30% 𝑥 7,329,946 𝑘𝑔
𝐺𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 2,198,983.8 𝑘𝑔
𝐺𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝐴𝑐𝑖𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 2,199 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑠
From the import data and world-wide annually supply, the production
capacity estimated by projecting the variable with the growth using CAGR value in
2013 – 2017 in the amount of 5.5% and CAGR value in 2018 – 2024 in the amount

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of 7.2% based on Global Market Insight Report. The calculation shown in Table
1.4.

Table 1.4. Calculation of Production Capacity

Year Growth Capacity (tonnes)
2013 2199
2014 2320
2015 5.5% 2448
2016 2582
2017 2724
2018 2920
2019 3131
2020 3356
2021 7.2% 3598
2022 3857
2023 4134
2024 4432
From the calculation above, the production capacity of gluconic acid in
2019 is estimated 3,131 tonnes and calculated the growth annually until 2024 with
CAGR value.
1.4 Raw Material Analysis
The main ingredients to produce gluconic acid with fermentative methods
are glucose and fermentation agent. Glucose can be obtained from high
carbohydrate-containing waste or natural plant such as sugarcane. Fermentation
agent commonly uses fungi or bacteria as the living agent to ferment the glucose.
1.4.1 Glucose
Glucose is the essential raw material in gluconic acid production. The
gluconic acid is usually produced by microbial oxidation of glucose. Enzymatic
conversion of glucose into gluconic acid can be achieved through a simple
dehydrogenation reaction using glucose oxidase as the enzyme.
Glucose could be obtained in many materials such as sugarcane, starch,
potatoes, fruits and also from industrial waste that contain high carbohydrate. At
this section, the glucose sources will be explained more from sugarcane and some
example of high carbohydrate containing waste which have a great quantity to
produce high amount of gluconic acid.
1.4.1.1 Sugarcane

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Sugarcane as the raw material of sugar industry is one of the commodities

that has strategic role in economic sector of Indonesia. Sugarcane has been
producing in several areas of Indonesia such as North Sumatera, South Sumatera,
Lampung, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java. Based on
Indonesian Sugarcane Statistics in 2015, East Java takes the first place for the
widest sugarcane plantation area in the amount of 207.15 thousand hectares or 45.4 %
from overall sugarcane plantation area in Indonesia in 2015. Another area where
also have wide plantation area are Lampung (27.34%), Central Java (10.33%), and
South Sumatera (4.88%) based on BPS Report in 2015. The average production of
sugarcane production shown in Figure 1.2.

Figure 1.2. Indonesia Sugarcane Plantation Area Maps

Source: Badan Pusat Statistik, 2015

The development of sugarcane production in Indonesia over the past 3 years

is fluctuating based on Badan Pusat Statistik in 2015. In 2013, the production of
sugarcane reached 2.55 million tons and increased 0.86% in 2014 to be 2.58 million
tons. While in 2015, sugarcane production decreased by 1.57% (2.53 million tons).
The production of sugarcane for the last 5 years can be seen in Figure 1.3. In 2015,
the production in East Java was 1.24 million tons (48.75% of overall sugarcane
production in Indonesia) and Lampung was 756,55 thousand tons (29,85% of
overall sugarcane production in Indonesia).

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Figure 1.3. Sugarcane Production Development

Source: Badan Pusat Statistik, 2015
Due to highly supply of sugarcane in Indonesia, the plantation has been
exporting the sugarcane and reached the volume of 537,57 thousand tons
(US$ 66.42) then creates a fluctuation during 2013 – 2015 as shown in Figure 1.X.
The raw sugarcane has been importing to 23 countries in 2015. The five most
importer countries were Philippines (190.89 thousand tons), South Korea (151.36
thousand tons), Japan (40.98 thousand tons), Taiwan and Vietnam (15.3 thousand
tons each). Based on the explained data, sugarcane has a great possibility to be used
as the raw material of gluconic acid production due to the availability of sugarcane.
1.4.1.2 Carbohydrate Containing Waste
Due to the main raw material of gluconic acid is glucose which is a simple
type of carbohydrate, the industry could utilize the high carbohydrate containing
waste such as paper waste and potato waste. These materials would be a cheaper
raw material as substrate.
Paper waste is one of the cellulolytic biomasses targeted to be recycled
(Ikeda, Y. et al., 2006) because it is a cause of environmental problems in Indonesia.
In 2016, paper waste reached 10% of 175 tons per day based on Media Indonesia
Report, 2016. Paper waste has been studied previously in bioconversion by
filamentous fungi and also as an alternative way to produce gluconic acid. Ikeda,
Y. et al. used paper waste hydrolysate, compared the gluconic acid yield and
production rate to those obtained with a glucose medium in a flask and bioreactor
using the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger. The study has been used
saccharified solution of waste paper with glucose concentration adjusted to 50–100
g/L for bioconversion with Aspergillus niger. These previous study shows that
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paper waste is a potential material role as glucose to produce gluconic acid.

Potato waste (potato pulp) is an agricultural waste product that is obtained
from potato starch production, and it contains cellulose, starch, and some proteins
(Jiang, Yi et al., 2017). This pulp is usually buried as feed or waste disposal,
resulting in soil and water pollution and a problem with low waste utilization
(Mayer, F. 1997). Based on Kementerian Pertanian report in 2017, the consumption
of potato reached more that one million thousand per year and the waste is estimated
10% from the consumption which have the value around 100.000 kg/year. Potato
waste is significantly different from conventional agricultural lignocellulosic
biomasses, such as wheat straw, rice straw, because of its loose and hydrated
structure as well as its low lignin content (Delgado R. et al., 2009). These properties
of potato waste make it easier to hydrolyze into sugar so that it is a suitable resource
for producing biochemicals, such as gluconate, gluconic acid, lactic acid,
bioethanol. Based on the previous study by Jiang, Yi et al., the enzymatic
hydrolysates of the potato pulp were fermented into 81.4 g/L gluconic acid by
Gluconobacter oxidans with the result of the overall conversion yield from glucose
to gluconic acid was 94.9%, and the productivity was 4.07 g/L/h. This study shows
that potato waste is also another potential carbohydrate containing waste for
gluconic acid industry.
1.4.2 Fermentation Agent
Fermentative process and catalytic oxidation are found to be the two basic
approaches in production of gluconic acid. Thus, in manufacturing gluconic acid,
fermentation is most widely acceptable and widely practiced method. Fungus,
Aspergilus niger and bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans are widely used micro-
organisms for fermentation.
1.4.2.1 Aspergilus niger
Aspergilus niger as one of the fermentative agents which produces all the
enzyme required for the conversion of glucose to gluconic acid. The most important
things when a plant is producing a product using living things is by knowing the
ideal and critical condition which will be used to control the system of the bioreactor
in the plant. Aspergillus nigger grows optimally in temperature of 35 – 37 C, with
the minimum temperature at 6 – 8 C, and maximum temperature at 45 – 47 C in

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aerobic environment.
Aspergillus niger should be activated before the reaction start called as
incubation process. Incubation process provide a condition for the filamentous
fungi to inoculate its spore inoculum. Driouch, H. et al. (2010) has been inoculate
Aspergillus niger by growing thawn spores from the maintenance culture at 30 °C
for 3 days on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Spores are harvested as spore
suspension from the plate into 20 mL 0.9 % NaCI solution, which is spreaded onto
the plate. After filtration (Miracloth, 25 μm pore size, CalBioChem, Darmstadt,
Germany) the spore concentration is determined photometrically then make a
calibration between spore number and optical density to precisely inoculate with a
well-defined spore concentration. Cultivations for enzyme production are
typically inoculated to an initial spore concentration of 106/ml.
Another study also revealed Aspergillus niger culture activation in inoculum
in fermentation media containing molasse which shows the best result in the
concentration of 30% at 30˚C for 4 days. The spore of mutant A. niger from slant
were harvested in 5 ml of sterile 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.8)
containing 0.1% presterilized Tween 80. The spores in inoculums were maintained
at 108 -1010 spores per ml (Nilesh, K. et al., 2012).
Aspergillus niger is the most applicable fungi that usually used for
converting glucose to gluconic acid. Besides, these filamentous fungi are easily
obtained and available in powder and granule which have purity of 97% – 99%.
1.4.2.2 Gluconobacter oxydans
Gluconobacter oxydans is a genus of bacteria which also has the ability for
converting glucose to gluconic acid. Gluconobacter oxydans is an aerobe bacterial
which has oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor. The highest growth rate occurs
at temperatures between 25 ˚C – 30˚C and it could not withstand high temperatures
above 37 ˚C (Comprehensive Macrobial Resource). Gluconobacter oxydans was
grown in mannitol medium (Buchert and Viikari, 1998) or ethanol medium
(Mostafa et al., 2002) which were adjusted to pH 5.0 or pH 6.0 by hydrochloric acid
on a shaker at 130 rpm.
Gluconic acid is derived from glucose by a simple oxidation reaction.
Bacterial gluconic acid production has limited success at industrial scale as the

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oxidation proceeds with the secondary reaction leading to oxogluconic acids.

Gluconobacter oxydans oxidizes glucose via two alternative pathways. The first
pathway requires an initial phosphorylation followed by oxidation via the pentose
phosphate pathway. The second is the direct glucose oxidation pathway, which
results in the formation of gluconic acid and ketogluconic acid (A. Stadler-Szoke,
et al., 1980).
Gluconobacter oxydans converts glucose to gluconic acid and subsequently
to 2-keto-D-gluconic acid (2-KGA) and 5-keto-D-gluconic acid (5-KGA) by
membrane-bound periplasmic pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent and flavin-
dependent dehydrogenases. Based on the study by Elfari, M. et al. 2005,
Gluconobacter oxydans converted about 11% of the available glucose to 2-KGA
and 6% to 5-KGA, with growing cells and improved growth under defined
conditions. The 2-KGA is a by-product that highly disadvantageous for an
industrial application of Gluconobacter oxydans so it will need more improvements
to reduce the production of 2-KGA. The yield of the production of 5-KGA without
improvement is around 45%. Meanwhile, under improved growth conditions,
Gluconobacter oxydans converted the available glucose almost completely 84%
into 5-KGA.
1.5 Plant Location Analysis
Plant location is one of the important things in plant design consideration,
because it will be related to the operation process in a plant. To choose the right location,
there are several factors that must be considered. These factors will affect the continuity
of the production of the plant in the future. We choose Lampung, as our plant location.
The selection of the plant Lampung is determined by various factors of
considerations, such as:
o Location Accessibility
o Available Size in Location
o Cost
o Infrastructure and Transportation Facility
o Labor Availability

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 CHAPTER 2
PROCESS SELECTION

2.1 Raw Material Selection

Renewable carbon resources like sugarcane juice and starch waste may be
used as carbon source. But different raw material will need different pre-treatment
process, so it can enter the main process. Some kind of raw material will be selected
to find the most suitable raw material to produce the specified gluconic acid. The
selection also considers the ease and the simplicity of the pre-treatment the raw
material needed.
Sugar cane may be used as carbon source without the necessity of much pre-
treatment, saccharification and liquefaction. The use of sugarcane juice has been
encouraged for the production of gluconic acid through fermentation with suitable
micro-organisms. Gluconic acid which obtain from fermentation of sugarcane juice
has the highest concentration among all the available raw material, about 76.3g/L.
This type of carbon sources has been readily accepted by food industries and the
consumers as raw materials and is derived from biological origin. Sugarcane juice
is also easily available throughout the year in Indonesia.
Waste paper is one of the cellulolytic biomasses targeted to be recycled
because it is a cause of environmental problem. Moreover, when paper materials
are recycled, they are usually turned into lower grade paper products. One way of
using waste paper is to decompose it to reducing sugars and to convert the sugars
to gluconic acid. Waste paper has a great potential as the raw material of gluconic
acid production for it is has low price and easy to get. But the number of waste
paper production in Indonesia is only about 900.000 ton and it is already been used
in another sector. Furthermore, the number of this waste is decreasing annually
because the use of paper in working space is replaced. This waste is not eligible to
be the raw material of gluconic acid production for its not sustain.
Waste potato such as potato pulp is an agricultural waste product that is
obtained from potato starch production, and it contains cellulose, starch, and some
proteins. Potato pulp is significantly different from conventional agricultural
lignocellulosic biomasses, such as corn stove, and so on, because of its loose and

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hydrated structure as well as its low lignin content. These properties of potato pulp
make it easier to hydrolyze into sugar (Jiang. 2018). But, usually buried as feed or
waste disposal for the processing costs of this waste is high. In Indonesia the waste
potato potential represented from the number, annually Indonesia could produce 1.3
million ton of potato (Kementrian Pertanian, 2016). Thus, potato pulp is a suitable
resource for producing gluconic acid, but it will involve more complex raw material
pretreatment.
From explanation above, the raw material that will be used in the production
of gluconic acid is sugarcane. Sugar cane is used because this source of carbon has
simpler pre-treatment process and been readily accepted by the food industries.
Also, sugarcane juice is easily available in Indonesia for it is annually produced
about 2.4 million ton (Kementrian Pertanian, 2016)
2.1.1 Sugarcane
Sugarcane may be used as carbon source without the necessity of much pre-
treatment, saccharification and liquefaction. The use of sugarcane juice has been
encouraged for the production of gluconic acid through fermentation with suitable
micro-organisms. Gluconic acid which obtain from fermentation of sugarcane juice
has the highest concentration among all the available raw material, about 76.3g/L.
This type of carbon sources has been readily accepted by food industries and the
consumers as raw materials and is derived from biological origin. Sugarcane juice
is also easily available throughout the year in Indonesia
2.1.2 Carbohydrate-Containing Waste
[khuy tar]
From explanation above, the raw material that will be used in the production
of gluconic acid is sugarcane. Sugarcane is used because this source of carbon has
simpler pre-treatment process and been readily accepted by the food industries and
the consumers as raw materials. Also, sugarcane juice is also easily available in
Indonesia for Indonesia annually produce about 2.4 million tonnes of sugarcane
(Kementerian Pertanian, 2016).
2.2 Process Synthesis
There are mainly three different methods for the commercial production of
gluconic acid like; chemical methods, enzymatic catalysis and fermentation. Each

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method consists of three main process, those are: raw material preparation; glucose
to gluconic acid reaction, and purification. Each method is used in production of
gluconic acid based on the product specification that is required and the raw
material that is used. In this plant design, gluconic acid product specification that
will be produced is 3131 tonnes/year and the raw material that will be used is
sugarcane juice.
There are plenty of alternative process from each step in each methods of
production of gluconic acid. The methods and the process steps then will be
analyzed and selected to find the most suitable production process to produce the
xspecified gluconic acid.

Figure 2.1. Black Box Diagram

2.2.1 Process Production Method Selection
There are mainly three different methods for the commercial production of
gluconic acid like; There are mainly three different methods for the commercial
production of gluconic acid like; chemical methods, enzymatic catalysis and
fermentation process where specific micro-organisms are grown in medium
containing glucose and other ingredients.
2.2.1.1 Fermentation method
Fermentation method for the production of gluconic acid from glucose is
the easiest and economically most excellent process known abroad (Pal, 2016).
Thus, in manufacturing gluconic acid, fermentation is most widely acceptable and
widely practiced method. However, it has also many disadvantages such as
difficulties in the separation of microbes and product, control of byproduct
formation and disposal of waste water.
2.2.1.2 Chemical method
Chemical method such as chemical oxidation of glucose by hypochlorite
solution and electrolytic oxidation of glucose solution in presence of bromide are
adopted in industrial scale production of gluconic acid. Several studies have been
reported on heterogeneous catalysis of glucose to produce gluconic acid by using
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Pt, Pd or Au nanoparticles as catalysts and oxygen from air as oxidant under mild
conditions. Although the conversion is a simple one-step process, the chemical
method is not at all favored due to its limited selectivity towards gluconic acid,
environmental toxicity and biological hazards; whereas the rapid increase in the
cost of electrical power in the recent years has turned electrolytic process costly.
Different oxidizing agents are used in this process, but still the process appears to
be costlier and less efficient than fermentation method.
2.2.1.3 Enzymatic method
Enzymatic method is developed for the commercial production of gluconic
acid. Various enzymatic processes have been described in the technical
bibliography, aiming in the replacement of commercial fermentation processes
suffering under difficulties including the removal of glucose and separation of
gluconic acid from fermentation broths. However, enzymatic production of
gluconic acid is economically unfeasible for large-scale industrial production due
to enzyme’s instability and resulting very high cost.
From explanation above, the gluconic acid production plant will use
fermentation method for it is the most reliable method for large-scale production.
This method is also the most economically method among other methods. For the
weakness of this method such as difficulties in the separation, new superior
fermentation processes system has been developed. Membrane-based separation
processes are considered as viable alternative to some traditional separation
processes. This system can largely overcome these problems due to high cell
density and continuous removal of products and ensures reduced energy
consumption as it involves no phase change (except pervaporation).
2.2.2 Selection of Fermentation Process
The plant will produce gluconic acid through fermentation. Based on the
mode of 𝑂2 supply, two types of culture conditions have been defined for GA
fermentation: including aerobic submerged fermentation (ASF) and solid-state
fermentation (SSF).
2.2.2.1 Solid-State Fermentation
Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a process of growth of microorganism in
an SSF solid medium (substrates). The main advantage of using these substrates is

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that nutrient-rich waste materials can be easily recycled as substrates. SSF is better
than submerged culture due to less variation of osmotic pressure, DO concentration,
availability of water and nutrients. In this fermentation technique, the substrates are
utilized very slowly and steadily, so the same substrate can be used for long
fermentation periods. Hence, this technique supports controlled release of nutrients.
However, it cannot be used in fermentation processes involving organisms that
require high aw (water activity), such as bacteria.
2.2.2.2 Aerobic Submerged Fermentation
Aerobic Submerged Fermentation (ASF) is a process of growth of
microorganism in a free-flowing liquid medium (substrates). This fermentation
technique is best suited for microorganisms such as bacteria that require high
moisture content. An additional advantage of this technique is that purification of
products is easier. However, oxygen supply in the center of large pellets sometimes
lack enough oxygen supply, leading to autolysis of the fungus or bacteria, which
further negatively affects fermentation. Submerged fermentation is usually
employed for commercial production of gluconic acid which is sensitive to process
control parameters, demands investment and is an energy intensive process.
Shown in the Table 2.1 below is the scoring for selection process based on
the comparison of fermentation time, yield, and applicability.

Table 2.1. Parameter of Scoring for Fermentation Method Selection

Weight Score
Parameter
(%) 3 2 1
Fermentation time
10 < 19 19-22 >22
(h/batch)
Yield (using
25 > 90% 70-90% 50%-70%
Sugarcane juice)
DO concentration 15 1 vvm 2-3 vvm 4 vvm
High
Medium Low because
because no
because need need complex
Effectivity 30 need next
some next step purification’s
step
purification step
purification
Applicability 20 Industrial Pilot Research
For purpose of process selection, the weight factor of the criteria was
determined subjectively by our team from our rational intent. The total weight
factor has to be 100% and it is normally used to assign the weight factor value of
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each criteria. Processes are rated through a comparison to the reference design
process. Representative ratings or ranks are valued from 1 to 3, indicating much
worse to much better process that the reference, this would be explained here after.
Once all the concepts are rated, a total score for each design concept is calculated.
The calculation is shown in Table 2.2 below.

Table 2.2. Scoring for Fermentation Method Selection

Type of Fermentation
Aerobic Submerged Solid State
Parameter % weight
Fermentation (ASF) Fermentation (SSF)
rank weight score rank weight score
Fermentation time
15 2 0.3 2 0.3
(h/batch)
Yield (using
20 2 0.4 3 0.6
Sugarcane juice)
DO concentration 15 2 0.3 3 0.45
Effectivity 30 2 0.6 1 0.3
Applicability 20 3 0.6 2 0.4
Total 100 2.2 2.05

The table shows that each fermentation process has advantage and
disadvantage, but one alternative has to be chosen. From scoring in the table 2.2,
Submerged fermentation is chosen as the fermentation process in the production of
gluconic acid. ASF is the most reliable method for large-scale production for it is
the most used method in the production of gluconic acid. Also, this technique has
easier products purification.
2.2.3 Fermentation Agent
Based on the literature, there are a few microorganisms that has been used
for gluconic acid production. Each one of them has their own benefits and
challenges. To produce gluconic acid in the most economical way, which
fermentation agent used should be considered. To choose which one is the best
fermentation agent to be used, there are few parameters to be considered which are
related to the fermentation process and ability for the conversion of glucose to
gluconic acid. The parameters are tabulated in Table 2.3 below.

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Table 2.2. Parameter of Scoring for Fermentation Method Selection

Weight Score
Parameter
(%) 3 2 1
Operability (max.
20 ≥ 40 ˚C 30 – 40˚C < 30˚C
temperature)
Yield (%) 25 > 90% 70% – 90% 50%-70%
Targeted
products and Only targeted No products
Overall Product 25 by-products products are were
are advantageous advantageous
advantageous
Not many
Easily No market
markets
Availability 30 obtained in provided the
provided the
market materials
materials

For purpose of process selection, the weight factor of the criteria was
determined subjectively by our team from our rational intent. The total weight
factor has to be 100% and it is normally used to assign the weight factor value of
each criteria. Processes are rated through a comparison to the reference design
process. Representative ratings or ranks are valued from 1 to 3, indicating much
worse to much better process that the reference, this would be explained here after.
Once all the concepts are rated, a total score for each design concept is calculated.
The calculation is shown in Table 2.2 below.

Table 2.3. Scoring for Fermentation Agent Selection

Fermentation Agent
Gluconobacter
Parameter % weight Aspergillus niger
oxydans
rank weight score rank weight score
Operability (max.
20 3 0.60 2 0.40
temperature)
Yield (%) 25 3 0.75 2 0.50
Overall Product 25 2 0.50 1 0.25
Availability 30 3 0.90 2 0.60
Total 100 2.75 1.75

The table shows that each fermentation process has advantage and
disadvantage, but one alternative has to be chosen. From scoring in the table 2.2,
Submerged fermentation is chosen as the fermentation process in the production of

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gluconic acid. ASF is the most reliable method for large-scale production for it is
the most used method in the production of gluconic acid. Also, this technique has
easier products purification.
2.2.4 Process Selection
2.2.4.1 Reaction
2.2.4.3 Incubation

2.2.4.4 Purification
2.3 Block Flow Diagram
2.4 Process Flow Diagram
2.4.1 Pre-Treatment Process
2.4.2 Incubation Process
2.4.3 Fermentation Reaction Process
2.4.4 Purification Process
2.4.5 Drying Process

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 CHAPTER 3
MASS AND ENERGY BALANCE
3.1 Mass Balance
3.2 Energy Balance
3.3 Product Conversion Efficiency
3.4 Product Yield
3.5 Energy Consumption of Unit Product

28 Universitas Indonesia
CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION

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REFERENCE
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/production-and-market-of-
sodium-gluconate-in-china-2018-09-06
https://www.gminsights.com/pressrelease/gluconic-acid-market)

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