Biosurfactants - Nature's Solution for Today's Cleaning Challenges.

Biosurfactants are surface-active molecules, developed by nature through evolution and naturally produced by different microorganisms. The most prominent examples are rhamnolipids and sophorolipids, molecules which contain hydrophilic sugar head groups and hydrophobic alkyl residues leading to an amphiphilic behavior with unique properties. Recent developments in the field of biotechnology enable the large-scale production of these biological molecules. The raw material basis is 100% renewable since sugars and oils are used as major raw materials. Additionally, biosurfactants are fully biodegradable, which allows the path back into the natural cycles. In comparison to established standard surfactants like SLES/SLS (sodium laureth (ether) sulfates) or betaines, rhamnolipids are much milder and, at the same time, show similar or even better performance in household or personal care applications. Foam behavior, solubilization and cleaning effectiveness are examples where these natural substances give excellent results compared to the synthetic benchmarks. The commercialization of biosurfactants at industrial scale now offers alternatives to consumers seeking sustainable solutions, without compromising performance. Biosurfactants combine both and set a new standard for surfactant applications.

Simultaneous determination of mono-, di-, and triglycerides in multiphase systems by online Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Glycerides are of significant value for industry as ingredients with different purposes in food or cosmetics. The analysis of glycerides is mainly performed by gas chromatography (GC) or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), which demonstrate limitations in dealing with multiphase systems. In this article, an in situ differentiation between mono-, di-, and triglycerides in multiphase systems by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is demonstrated. The enzymatic esterification of glycerol with lauric acid was analyzed as a model system. The reaction was carried out in a bubble column reactor containing four phases (two liquid phases of glycerol and lauric acid, air as gaseous phase, and a heterogeneous catalyst as solid phase). As a feasibility study, a chemometric model was generated for the pure components only. The quantities of lauric acid and the three products (mono-, di-, and trilaurin) were simultaneously determined over the course of the reaction with acceptable errors (1.8-12.5%) with regard to the calibration effort. This technology has the potential to give accurate results, particularly in unstable emulsion systems containing fats, oils, or emulsifiers, which are currently afflicted by analytical errors caused by the challenge of accurate sampling.