Phytoextracts working group - products and processes

The temporary working group on phytoextraction pursues three goals with its work:

• The greater integration of phytoextraction into the use of renewable raw materials, through the use/extended use of side streams and intermediate steps in process chains.
• The establishment of phytoextraction as an independent approach for the extraction of valuable and active substances for the development of new fields of application and the substitution of synthetic products.
• Creation of a communication platform for professional exchange and the creation of interfaces to neighboring disciplines.

For phytoextraction, there are interfaces with the committees in the areas of renewable raw materials (material) and separation techniques (technological). In the case of renewable raw materials, the focus is on expanding their range of uses and thus the value added that can be achieved from them.
The various unit operations in the field of separation technologies offer interfaces for the integrated development and optimization of process technology based on product requirements from the use of plant extracts.

For the working group, a distinction must be made between three different potential application groups:

• Large-margin (bulk chemicals)

• More specialized applications (cosmetics, food supplements, precursors)

• Special applications (active ingredient development)

The working group mainly focuses on the area of specialized applications. Here, for example, the area of new herbal ingredients is of interest, as they can be used in preliminary stages of pharmaceutical production.

There are three main areas of work for this target area:

• Integrated bioprocess development (process synthesis for biotechnology from chemistry)
  An initial starting point here is the use of biotechnological processes (e.g. with enzymes) or more environmentally friendly solvents (green solvents) instead of non-selective (chlorinated) organic solvents for optimal integration into existing or new process chains.

• Simultaneous consideration of strain generation and downstream processing
  By linking raw material properties (plant-based), process optimization and product properties, specific requirements for process technology can be derived using an integrated approach.

• Value and active ingredient isolation, e.g. for substitution products
  The focus is on developing highly selective extraction processes for obtaining new active ingredients and substitution products for synthetic active ingredients. This approach also includes a review of the active ingredient potential of the existing raw material base and its expansion.

The working group considers integrated process development to be the greatest challenge for future developments in the extraction of plant extracts. Particular attention must be paid to the clear definition of interfaces between the various unit operations.

Chairman: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Strube, TU Clausthal
Deputy Chairman: Dr. -Ing. Chairman: Dr.-Ing. Stefan Pilz, Evonik Degussa GmbH