SCLEROGLUCAN BIOPOLYMER PRODUCTION, PROPERTIES, AND ECONOMICS

Production and solution properties which may make scleroglucan polysaccharide economically advantageous for onsite production and use in tertiary oil recovery were investigated. Scleroglucan, which is similar in viscosity and shear thinning to xanthan, can be produced in a 3-day batch or 12 h continuous fermentation. Yield is nearly 50% based on input glucose. Gross biopolymer-biomass separation may be effected using microscreening, a low energy process, followed by polish filtration. Polymer flux may be improved by hydrolysis with an endolaminarinase from Rhizopus arrhizius QM 1032. Simple feedstock requirements and low growth pH, together with the difficulty of resuspending dried polymer, may encourage field biopolymer fermentation and use of purified culture broth. KEYWORDS Biopolymer; Sclerotium rolfsii; polysaccharide; waterflooding; tertiary oil recovery; macromolecule separations; endolaminarinase.