Comparative evaluation of pumice stone as an alternative immobilization material for 1,3-propanediol production from waste glycerol by immobilized Klebsiella pneumoniae.

In this study, pumice stone (PS), which is a vastly available material in Turkey, was evaluated as an alternative immobilization material in comparison to other commercially available immobilization materials such as glass beads and polyurethane foam. All immobilized bioreactors resulted in much better 1,3-propanediol production from waste glycerol in comparison to the suspended cell culture bioreactor. It was also demonstrated that the locally available PS material is as good as the commercially available immobilization material. The maximum volumetric productivity (8.5 g L(-1) h(-1)) was obtained by the PS material, which is 220 % higher than the suspended cell system. Furthermore, the immobilized bioreactor system was much more robust against cell washout even at very low hydraulic retention time values.