Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP
Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP

Process-Related Analytics

Reliable and efficient analysis is essential for the development of new processes and the scaling of advanced procedures. Novel processes, tests and experiments require a fast analytical evaluation and demand a permanent adaptation of already established methods.

The analysis of natural substances such as lignocellulose, fermentation broths or even chemical reactor waters is characterized by a complex matrix of various impurities. To determine relevant components, HPLC and GC systems with various separation mechanisms and various detectors are used. In addition to routine analysis, assimilated methods, including novel method development, are therefore our daily business.

Current R&D topics

  • Quantification of sugars and sugar degradation products like 5-HMF, furfural, formic acid, acetic acid in samples from the biorefinery process
  • Quantification of sugars and organic acids in fermentation broths (e.g. malic acid, xylon acid and itaconic acid)
  • Quantification of alcohols and organic solvents
  • GC-MS screening
  • Gas analysis
  • Quantification of phenolic compounds in samples of the base-cataysed depolymerisation

Range of services

Our spectrum of services includes particularly process-accompanying analyses, but also the development and establishment of new analytical methods.

The focus is on:

  • Quantification of the following substances:
    • Sugars from wood
    • Sugar degradation products
    • Organic solvents
    • Organic acids (simple carboxylic acids, diacids, fatty acids, aromatic acids)
    • Permanent gases
    • Aromatic compounds 
  • Screening of unknown ingredients
  • Determination of enzyme activity
  • Protein analysis
  • NCHS and O determination
  • Relative molar mass determination of lignin
  • Determination of phenolic OH groups and carboxyl groups in lignin/oils

Equipment

The main field of activity is instrumental analysis with a focus on chromatographic separation methods, but special titration options (such as water determination according to Karl Fischer), UV-VIS photometers, ATR-IR measuring devices and an elemental analyzer (NCHS/O) are also offered.

Expand all Close all

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

In high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the separation of substances in HPLC is perfrmed by using a variety of columns with different separation mechanisms and a mobile liquid phase (eluent). The high diversity of column material and eluent composition allows a wide range of separation possibilities. The quantification of components is carried out by external calibration standard substances.

At Fraunhofer CBP several HPLC systems with different detectors are used:

  • HPLC with refractive index detector RID and diode array detector DAD
    • RID as universal detector for the determination of sugars, alcohols, organic acids
    • DAD for the detection of UV-active substances, substance identification is possible using spectrum libraries
  • HPLC size exclusion chromatography with refractive index detector RID
    • Special separation mechanism of size exclusion chromatography, the separation takes place according to molecule size for relative molar mass determination of lignin
  • HPLC with Diode Array Detector DAD
    • DAD for the detection of UV-active substances, substance identification is possible by using spectrum libraries
    • Special analyses: furanedicarboxylic acid, xylonic acid, polyphenols, phenolic compounds, 5-HMF, furfural

Gas chromatography

Gas chromatographic separation methods are used to quantify vaporizable or already gaseous substances. An important criterion is that the substances do not decompose. By using various GC columns, complex mixtures of substances are separated via a temperature gradient and the content of individual components can be determined.

Fraunhofer CBP has several gas chromatographs and a wide variety of separation columns available for this purpose.

  • GC with thermal conductivity detectors TCD and flame ionization detector FID
    • Broad applicability
    • Special use for gas analysis of CO2, CO, H2, CH4
  • GC with mass-selective detector MSD and flame ionization detector FID
    • MS screening of unknown substances
    • Substances in complex sample matrix
    • Phenolic compounds, sterols, fatty acids, solvents
  • Headspace-GC with flame ionization detector FID
    • Highly volatile substances in difficult sample matrices such as fermentation broths, wood pulping samples
    • Alcohols, esters, ethers, highly volatile solvents

Organic elemental analysis

Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen are the basic building blocks of organic molecules. The precise quantitative determination of these elements in a wide variety of compounds and substances is an efficient analytical method for evaluating chemical reactions and biotechnological processes.

  • NCHS and O determination
  • Use of certified natural substance standards in addition to certified reference materials (CRM)

Reference projects

 

Enzyme processes

Chemical and combined processes

 

Value chains

Related Links: