Polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer compositions and methods of making the same

Abstract

A polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer composition is provided. The composition comprises a plurality of polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules. The polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules (i) comprise 3-hydroxybutyrate monomers and 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers, (ii) have a monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of 23.5 to 75%, and (iii) have a biobased content of ≧80%. Also provided is a method of making a polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer composition. The method comprises culturing an organism in the presence of one or more carbon raw materials under conditions under which (a) the one or more carbon raw materials are converted to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA and 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA and (b) the 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA and the 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA are polymerized to form the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules, thereby forming the composition. The organism has been genetically engineered to comprise particular enzymatic activities, and to not comprise other particular enzymatic activities. The one or more carbon raw materials, taken together, have a biobased content of ≧80%.

1 . A polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer composition comprising a plurality of polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules, wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules (i) comprise 3-hydroxybutyrate monomers and 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers, (ii) have a monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of 23.5 to 75%, (iii) have a biobased content of ≧80% corresponding to amount of biobased carbon as a percent of weight (mass) of total organic carbon as defined in ASTM D6866-12, and (iv) have a weight average molecular weight of 250 kDa to 2.0 MDa, and further wherein the composition has a glass transition temperature of −60° C. to −5° C. 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules does not decrease with increasing molecular weight of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules are produced in a fermentation process using one or more carbon raw materials that, taken together, have a biobased content of ≧80%;   the one or more carbon raw materials comprise a carbon source selected from the group consisting of glucose, levoglucosan, sucrose, lactose, fructose, xylose, maltose, arabinose, and mixtures thereof; and   the yield is greater than 0.25 g of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules per gram of the carbon source.   
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 25 to 70%. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 30 to 40%. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 40 to 50%. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 50 to 60%. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 60 to 70%. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the biobased content of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is ≧95%. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the biobased content of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is ≧99%. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the biobased content of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 100%. 
     
     
         14 . A polymer blend composition comprising the polyhydroxyalkanoate composition of  claim 1  and a plurality of molecules of a second polymer. 
     
     
         15 . The polymer blend composition of  claim 14 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules are present at 5 to 95 weight percent of the polymer blend composition. 
     
     
         16 . The polymer blend composition of  claim 14 , wherein the polymer blend composition is continuous or co-continuous. 
     
     
         17 . The polymer blend composition of  claim 14 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules and the molecules of the second polymer form a single phase. 
     
     
         18 . The polymer blend composition of  claim 14 , wherein the polymer blend composition has a lower crystallizability than a corresponding composition that lacks the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules. 
     
     
         19 . A biomass composition comprising the composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules are present ≧50 weight percent of the biomass composition. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer composition comprising a plurality of polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules, wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules (i) comprise 3-hydroxybutyrate monomers and 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers, (ii) have a monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of 23.5 to 75%, and (iii) have a biobased content of ≧80% corresponding to amount of biobased carbon as a percent of weight (mass) of total organic carbon as defined in ASTM D6866-12, and (iv) have a weight average molecular weight of 250 kDa to 2.0 MDa, and further wherein the composition has a glass transition temperature of −60° C. to −5° C., the method comprising:
 culturing an organism in the presence of one or more carbon raw materials under conditions under which (a) the one or more carbon raw materials are converted to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA and 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA and (b) the 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA and the 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA are polymerized to form the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules, thereby forming the composition, wherein: 
 the organism has been genetically engineered to comprise enzymatic activities of a polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase, an acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, an acetoacetyl-CoA reductase, a succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, a succinic semialdehyde reductase, and a CoA transferase by stable incorporation of genes encoding the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase, the acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, the acetoacetyl-CoA reductase, the succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, the succinic semialdehyde reductase, and the CoA transferase into the organism by introduction of one or more stable plasmids comprising the genes and/or by integration of the genes into the genome of the organism, and to not comprise enzymatic activities of either an NAD+-dependent succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase or an NADP+-dependent succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase or both, and 
 the one or more carbon raw materials, taken together, have a biobased content of ≧80%. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the organism has further been genetically engineered (a) to comprise enzymatic activities of (i) an alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase or 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase and (ii) an L-1,2-propanediol oxidoreductase, and (b) to not comprise enzymatic activities of one or more of (i) a thioesterase II, (ii) a multifunctional acyl-CoA thioesterase I and protease I and lysophospholipase L, (iii) an acyl-CoA thioesterase, and (iv) an aldehyde dehydrogenase. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more carbon raw materials comprise a carbon source selected from the group consisting of glucose, levoglucosan, sucrose, lactose, fructose, xylose, maltose, arabinose, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more carbon raw materials comprise one or more of molasses, starch, a fatty acid, a vegetable oil, a lignocellulosic material, ethanol, acetic acid, glycerol, a biomass-derived synthesis gas, and methane originating from a landfill gas. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more carbon raw materials do not comprise γ-butyrolactone, 1,4-butanediol, 4-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, α-ketoglutarate, oxaloacetate, malate, fumarate, citrate, succinate, or 3-hydroxybutyrate. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more carbon raw materials, taken together, have a biobased content of ≧95%. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more carbon raw materials, taken together, have a biobased content of ≧99%. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more carbon raw materials, taken together, have a biobased content of 100%. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 25 to 70%. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 30 to 40%. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 40 to 50%. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 50 to 60%. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the monomeric molar percentage of 4-hydroxybutyrate monomers of the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules is 60 to 70%. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising isolating the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer molecules from the organism, such that the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer composition is substantially free of the organism. 
     
     
         34 - 37 . (canceled)