Saccharification of Agricultural Lignocellulose Feedstocks and Protein-Level Responses by a Termite Gut-Microbe Bioreactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajarapu, Swapna Priya; Scharf, Michael E.

2017-01-01

This study investigated saccharification and protein-level responses to the candidate biofuel feedstocks corn stover (CS) and soybean residue (SR) by the gut of a lower termite. The focus termite was Reticulitermes flavipes, which is a highly efficient digester of wood lignocellulose that houses a mixture of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes in its gut. Our specific objectives were to (i) measure saccharification potential of the CS and SR feedstocks by termite gut protein extracts, (ii) identify specific proteins in the termite gut responding to feeding on CS and SR diets, and (iii) evaluate gut lignocellulase and accessory enzyme activity responses to CS and SR feeding. Cellulose paper was the control diet. Although CS was saccharified at higher levels, termite gut protein extracts saccharified both CS and SR irrespective of feedstock loading. Consumption of the CS and SR feedstocks by termites resulted in surprisingly few differences in gut protein profiles, with the main exception being elevated myosin abundance with SR feeding. Activity of potential lignocellulases and accessory enzymes was generally similar between CS and SR fed guts as well; however, cellobiohydrolase/exoglucanase activity was higher with CS feeding and glutathione peroxidase activity with SR feeding. These findings have significance from two perspectives. First, SR feeding/digestion appears to cause physiological stress in the termite gut that likely would extend to other types of microbial environments including those within industrial bioreactors. Second, because termites can survive on exclusive CS and SR diets and their guts exhibit clear CS and SR saccharification activity, this validates the R. flavipes system as a potential source for CS and SR degrading enzymes; in particular, cellobiohydrolases/exoglucanases and glutathione peroxidases from this system may play roles in CS and SR breakdown.

Saccharification of Agricultural Lignocellulose Feedstocks and Protein-Level Responses by a Termite Gut-Microbe Bioreactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajarapu, Swapna Priya; Scharf, Michael E., E-mail: mscharf@purdue.edu [Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States)

2017-04-07

This study investigated saccharification and protein-level responses to the candidate biofuel feedstocks corn stover (CS) and soybean residue (SR) by the gut of a lower termite. The focus termite was Reticulitermes flavipes, which is a highly efficient digester of wood lignocellulose that houses a mixture of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes in its gut. Our specific objectives were to (i) measure saccharification potential of the CS and SR feedstocks by termite gut protein extracts, (ii) identify specific proteins in the termite gut responding to feeding on CS and SR diets, and (iii) evaluate gut lignocellulase and accessory enzyme activity responses to CS and SR feeding. Cellulose paper was the control diet. Although CS was saccharified at higher levels, termite gut protein extracts saccharified both CS and SR irrespective of feedstock loading. Consumption of the CS and SR feedstocks by termites resulted in surprisingly few differences in gut protein profiles, with the main exception being elevated myosin abundance with SR feeding. Activity of potential lignocellulases and accessory enzymes was generally similar between CS and SR fed guts as well; however, cellobiohydrolase/exoglucanase activity was higher with CS feeding and glutathione peroxidase activity with SR feeding. These findings have significance from two perspectives. First, SR feeding/digestion appears to cause physiological stress in the termite gut that likely would extend to other types of microbial environments including those within industrial bioreactors. Second, because termites can survive on exclusive CS and SR diets and their guts exhibit clear CS and SR saccharification activity, this validates the R. flavipes system as a potential source for CS and SR degrading enzymes; in particular, cellobiohydrolases/exoglucanases and glutathione peroxidases from this system may play roles in CS and SR breakdown.

Effect of Lignocellulose Related Compounds on Microalgae Growth and Product Biosynthesis: A Review

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Krystian Miazek

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Microalgae contain valuable compounds that can be harnessed for industrial applications. Lignocellulose biomass is a plant material containing in abundance organic substances such as carbohydrates, phenolics, organic acids and other secondary compounds. As growth of microalgae on organic substances was confirmed during heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultivation, lignocellulose derived compounds can become a feedstock to cultivate microalgae and produce target compounds. In this review, different treatment methods to hydrolyse lignocellulose into organic substrates are presented first. Secondly, the effect of lignocellulosic hydrolysates, organic substances typically present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, as well as minor co-products, on growth and accumulation of target compounds in microalgae cultures is described. Finally, the possibilities of using lignocellulose hydrolysates as a common feedstock for microalgae cultures are evaluated.

Field-to-Fuel Performance Testing of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks: An Integrated Study of the Fast Pyrolysis/Hydrotreating Pathway

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Howe, Daniel T.; Westover, Tyler; Carpenter, Daniel; Santosa, Daniel M.; Emerson, Rachel; Deutch, Steve; Starace, Anne; Kutnyakov, Igor V.; Lukins, Craig D.

2015-05-21

Feedstock composition can affect final fuel yields and quality for the fast pyrolysis and hydrotreatment upgrading pathway. However, previous studies have focused on individual unit operations rather than the integrated system. In this study, a suite of six pure lignocellulosic feedstocks (clean pine, whole pine, tulip poplar, hybrid poplar, switchgrass, and corn stover) and two blends (equal weight percentages whole pine/tulip poplar/switchgrass and whole pine/clean pine/hybrid poplar) were prepared and characterized at Idaho National Laboratory. These blends then underwent fast pyrolysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and hydrotreatment at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Although some feedstocks showed a high fast pyrolysis bio-oil yield such as tulip poplar at 57%, high yields in the hydrotreater were not always observed. Results showed overall fuel yields of 15% (switchgrass), 18% (corn stover), 23% (tulip poplar, Blend 1, Blend 2), 24% (whole pine, hybrid poplar) and 27% (clean pine). Simulated distillation of the upgraded oils indicated that the gasoline fraction varied from 39% (clean pine) to 51% (corn stover), while the diesel fraction ranged from 40% (corn stover) to 46% (tulip poplar). Little variation was seen in the jet fuel fraction at 11 to 12%. Hydrogen consumption during hydrotreating, a major factor in the economic feasibility of the integrated process, ranged from 0.051 g/g dry feed (tulip poplar) to 0.070 g/g dry feed (clean pine).

Hydrothermal pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of mixed green and woody lignocellulosics from arid regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashraf, Muhammad Tahir; Thomsen, Mette Hedegaard; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

2017-01-01

Utilization of multi-specie feedstocks is imperative for application of lignocellulosic biorefineries in arid regions. Different lignocellulosic residues vary in composition and anatomical features. Pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis are two processes at the front end of any lignocellulosics...... biorefinery applying biochemical pathway, and have to efficiently deal with the variance in the feedstock composition and properties. However, there is limited knowledge about effect of mixing different lignocellulosics on pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis yields. In this study effect of mixing...... on the yields from hydrothermal pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was analyzed by mixing three different lignocellulosic residues — Bermuda grass, Jasmine hedges, and date palm fronds. Results showed that the individual and the mixed lignocellulosics gave same yields when treated under similar conditions...

Evolution and Development of Effective Feedstock Specifications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garold Gresham; Rachel Emerson; Amber Hoover; Amber Miller; William Bauer; Kevin Kenney

2013-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of a range of liquid fuels and fuel blend stocks from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass collection, conversion, and sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. The 2012 feedstock logistics milestone demonstrated that for high-yield areas that minimize the transportation distances of a low-density, unstable biomass, we could achieve a delivered cost of $35/ton. Based on current conventional equipment and processes, the 2012 logistics design is able to deliver the volume of biomass needed to fulfill the 2012 Renewable Fuel Standard’s targets for ethanol. However, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s volume targets are continuing to increase and are expected to peak in 2022 at 36 billion gallons. Meeting these volume targets and achieving a national-scale biofuels industry will require expansion of production capacity beyond the 2012 Conventional Feedstock Supply Design Case to access diverse available feedstocks, regardless of their inherent ability to meet preliminary biorefinery quality feedstock specifications. Implementation of quality specifications (specs), as outlined in the 2017 Design Case – “Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels” (in progress), requires insertion of deliberate, active quality controls into the feedstock supply chain, whereas the 2012 Conventional Design only utilizes passive quality controls.

Microbial production host selection for converting second-generation feedstocks into bioproducts

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van Groenestijn Johan W

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Increasingly lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates are used as the feedstock for industrial fermentations. These biomass hydrolysates are complex mixtures of different fermentable sugars, but also inhibitors and salts that affect the performance of the microbial production host. The performance of six industrially relevant microorganisms, i.e. two bacteria (Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum, two yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis and two fungi (Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei were compared for their (i ability to utilize monosaccharides present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, (ii resistance against inhibitors present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, (iii their ability to utilize and grow on different feedstock hydrolysates (corn stover, wheat straw, sugar cane bagasse and willow wood. The feedstock hydrolysates were generated in two manners: (i thermal pretreatment under mild acid conditions followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and (ii a non-enzymatic method in which the lignocellulosic biomass is pretreated and hydrolyzed by concentrated sulfuric acid. Moreover, the ability of the selected hosts to utilize waste glycerol from the biodiesel industry was evaluated. Results Large differences in the performance of the six tested microbial production hosts were observed. Carbon source versatility and inhibitor resistance were the major discriminators between the performances of these microorganisms. Surprisingly all 6 organisms performed relatively well on pretreated crude feedstocks. P. stipitis and A. niger were found to give the overall best performance C. glutamicum and S. cerevisiae were shown to be the least adapted to renewable feedstocks. Conclusion Based on the results obtained we conclude that a substrate oriented instead of the more commonly used product oriented approach towards the selection of a microbial production host will avoid the requirement for extensive metabolic

A short review on SSF – an interesting process option for ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks

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Bertilsson Magnus

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF is one process option for production of ethanol from lignocellulose. The principal benefits of performing the enzymatic hydrolysis together with the fermentation, instead of in a separate step after the hydrolysis, are the reduced end-product inhibition of the enzymatic hydrolysis, and the reduced investment costs. The principal drawbacks, on the other hand, are the need to find favorable conditions (e.g. temperature and pH for both the enzymatic hydrolysis and the fermentation and the difficulty to recycle the fermenting organism and the enzymes. To satisfy the first requirement, the temperature is normally kept below 37°C, whereas the difficulty to recycle the yeast makes it beneficial to operate with a low yeast concentration and at a high solid loading. In this review, we make a brief overview of recent experimental work and development of SSF using lignocellulosic feedstocks. Significant progress has been made with respect to increasing the substrate loading, decreasing the yeast concentration and co-fermentation of both hexoses and pentoses during SSF. Presently, an SSF process for e.g. wheat straw hydrolyzate can be expected to give final ethanol concentrations close to 40 g L-1 with a yield based on total hexoses and pentoses higher than 70%.

Engineering sugar utilization and microbial tolerance toward lignocellulose conversion

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Lizbeth M. Nieves

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Production of fuels and chemicals through a fermentation-based manufacturing process that uses renewable feedstock such as lignocellulosic biomass is a desirable alternative to petrochemicals. Although it is still in its infancy, synthetic biology offers great potential to overcome the challenges associated with lignocellulose conversion. In this review, we will summarize the identification and optimization of synthetic biological parts used to enhance the utilization of lignocellulose-derived sugars and to increase the biocatalyst tolerance for lignocellulose-derived fermentation inhibitors. We will also discuss the ongoing efforts and future applications of synthetic integrated biological systems used to improve lignocellulose conversion.

Environmental impacts of a lignocellulose feedstock biorefinery system: An assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uihlein, Andreas; Schebek, Liselotte

2009-01-01

Biomass is a sustainable alternative to fossil energy carriers which are used to produce fuels, electricity, chemicals, and other goods. At the moment, the main biobased products are obtained by the conversion of biomass to basic products like starch, oil, and cellulose. In addition, some single chemicals and fuels are produced. Presently, concepts of biorefineries which will produce a multitude of biomass-derived products are discussed. Biorefineries are supposed to contribute to a more sustainable resource supply and to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. However, biobased products and fuels may also be associated with environmental disadvantages due to, e.g. land use or eutrophication of water. We performed a Life Cycle Assessment of a lignocellulose feedstock biorefinery system and compared it to conventional product alternatives. The biorefinery was found to have the greatest environmental impacts in the three categories: fossil fuel use, respiratory effects, and carcinogenics. The environmental impacts predominantly result from the provision of hydrochloric acid and to a smaller extent also from the provision of process heat. As the final configuration of the biorefinery cannot be determined yet, various variants of the biorefinery system were analysed. The optimum variant (acid and heat recoveries) yields better results than the fossil alternatives, with the total environmental impacts being approx. 41% lower than those of the fossil counterparts. For most biorefinery variants analysed, the environmental performance in some impact categories is better than that of the fossil counterparts while disadvantages can be seen in other categories.

Production of fuel range oxygenates by supercritical hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic model systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Thomas Helmer; Rosendahl, Lasse Aistrup

2015-01-01

Lignocellulosic model compounds and aspen wood are processed at supercritical hydrothermal conditions to study and understand feedstock impact on biocrude formation and characteristics. Glucose and xylose demonstrate similar yield of biocrude and biochar, similar biocrude characteristics, and it ......Lignocellulosic model compounds and aspen wood are processed at supercritical hydrothermal conditions to study and understand feedstock impact on biocrude formation and characteristics. Glucose and xylose demonstrate similar yield of biocrude and biochar, similar biocrude characteristics...

Identification and overexpression of a Knotted1-like transcription factor in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L. for lignocellulosic feedstock improvement

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Wegi eWuddineh

2016-04-01

Full Text Available High biomass production and wide adaptation has made switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L. an important candidate lignocellulosic bioenergy crop. One major limitation of this and other lignocellulosic feedstocks is the recalcitrance of complex carbohydrates to hydrolysis for conversion to biofuels. Lignin is the major contributor to recalcitrance as it limits the accessibility of cell wall carbohydrates to enzymatic breakdown into fermentable sugars. Therefore, genetic manipulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway is one strategy to reduce recalcitrance. Here, we identified a switchgrass Knotted1 transcription factor, PvKN1, with the aim of genetically engineering switchgrass for reduced biomass recalcitrance for biofuel production. Gene expression of the endogenous PvKN1 gene was observed to be highest in young inflorescences and stems. Ectopic overexpression of PvKN1 in switchgrass altered growth, especially in early developmental stages. Transgenic lines had reduced expression of most lignin biosynthetic genes accompanied by a reduction in lignin content suggesting the involvement of PvKN1 in the broad regulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway. Moreover, the reduced expression of the Gibberellin 20-oxidase (GA20ox gene in tandem with the increased expression of Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox genes in transgenic PvKN1 lines suggest that PvKN1 may exert regulatory effects via modulation of GA signalling. Furthermore, overexpression of PvKN1 altered the expression of cellulose and hemicellulose biosynthetic genes and increased sugar release efficiency in transgenic lines. Our results demonstrated that switchgrass PvKN1 is a putative ortholog of maize KN1 that is linked to plant lignification and cell wall and development traits as a major regulatory gene. Therefore, targeted overexpression of PvKN1 in bioenergy feedstocks may provide one feasible strategy for reducing biomass recalcitrance and simultaneously improving plant growth characteristics.

Lignocellulosic ethanol production from woody biomass: The impact of facility siting on competitiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephen, James D.; Mabee, Warren E.; Saddler, Jack N.

2013-01-01

Just as temperate region pulp and paper companies need to compete with Brazilian eucalyptus pulp producers, lignocellulosic biofuel producers in North America and Europe, in the absence of protectionist trade policies, will need to be competitive with tropical and sub-tropical biofuel producers. This work sought to determine the impact of lignocellulosic ethanol biorefinery siting on economic performance and minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) for both east and west coast North American fuel markets. Facility sites included the pine-dominated Pacific Northwest Interior, the mixed deciduous forest of Ontario and New York, and the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Feedstock scenarios included both plantation (poplar, willow, and eucalyptus, respectively) and managed forest harvest. Site specific variables in the techno-economic model included delivered feedstock cost, ethanol delivery cost, cost of capital, construction cost, labour cost, electricity revenues (and co-product credits), and taxes, insurance, and permits. Despite the long shipping distance from Brazil to North American east and west coast markets, the MESP for Brazilian-produced eucalyptus lignocellulosic ethanol, modelled at $0.74 L −1 , was notably lower than that of all North American-produced cases at $0.83–1.02 L −1 . - Highlights: • Lignocellulosic ethanol production costs vary notably by region. • Feedstock cost is the primary site-specific production cost variable. • Woody feedstocks in North America have a higher cost than those in Brazil. • Use of Brazilian eucalyptus resulted in the lowest MESP for considered feedstocks. • MESP ranged from −1 to >$1.00 L −1

Process Simulation of Biobutanol Production from Lignocellulosic Feedstocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Procentese, A.; Guida, T.; Raganati, F.; Olivieri, G.; Salatino, P.; Marzocchella, A.

2014-01-01

A potential flowsheet to produce butanol production by conversion of a lignocellulosic biomass has been simulated by means of the software Aspen Plus®. The flowsheet has included upstream, fermentation, and downstream sections and the attention has been focused on the upstream section. The proposed

Alternative Feedstocks Program Technical and Economic Assessment: Thermal/Chemical and Bioprocessing Components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bozell, J. J.; Landucci, R.

1993-07-01

This resource document on biomass to chemicals opportunities describes the development of a technical and market rationale for incorporating renewable feedstocks into the chemical industry in both a qualitative and quantitative sense. The term "renewable feedstock?s" can be defined to include a huge number of materials such as agricultural crops rich in starch, lignocellulosic materials (biomass), or biomass material recovered from a variety of processing wastes.

Progress in the production of bioethanol on starch-based feedstocks

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Dragiša Savić

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Bioethanol produced from renewable biomass, such as sugar, starch, or lignocellulosic materials, is one of the alternative energy resources, which is both renewable and environmentally friendly. Although, the priority in global future ethanol production is put on lignocellulosic processing, which is considered as one of the most promising second-generation biofuel technologies, the utilizetion of lignocellulosic material for fuel ethanol is still under improvement. Sugar- based (molasses, sugar cane, sugar beet and starch-based (corn, wheat, triticale, potato, rice, etc. feedstock are still currently predominant at the industrial level and they are, so far, economically favorable compared to lingocelluloses. Currently, approx. 80 % of total world ethanol production is obtained from the fermentation of simple sugars by yeast. In Serbia, one of the most suitable and available agricultural raw material for the industrial ethanol production are cereals such as corn, wheat and triticale. In addition, surpluses of this feedstock are being produced in our country constantly. In this paper, a brief review of the state of the art in bioethanol production and biomass availability is given, pointing out the progress possibilities on starch-based production. The progress possibilities are discussed in the domain of feedstock choice and pretreatment, optimization of fermentation, process integration and utilization of the process byproducts.

Lignocellulosic biorefinery as a model for sustainable development of biofuels and value added products.

Science.gov (United States)

De Bhowmick, Goldy; Sarmah, Ajit K; Sen, Ramkrishna

2018-01-01

A constant shift of society's dependence from petroleum-based energy resources towards renewable biomass-based has been the key to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions. Effective use of biomass feedstock, particularly lignocellulosic, has gained worldwide attention lately. Lignocellulosic biomass as a potent bioresource, however, cannot be a sustainable alternative if the production cost is too high and/ or the availability is limited. Recycling the lignocellulosic biomass from various sources into value added products such as bio-oil, biochar or other biobased chemicals in a bio-refinery model is a sensible idea. Combination of integrated conversion techniques along with process integration is suggested as a sustainable approach. Introducing 'series concept' accompanying intermittent dark/photo fermentation with co-cultivation of microalgae is conceptualised. While the cost of downstream processing for a single type of feedstock would be high, combining different feedstocks and integrating them in a bio-refinery model would lessen the production cost and reduce CO 2 emission. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biogas Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass : Impact of pre-treatment, co-digestion, harvest time and inoculation

OpenAIRE

LI, Chao

2017-01-01

Biogas or methane production through anaerobic digestion (AD) is gaining increasing attention worldwide due to concerns over global warming, energy security and the need for sustainable waste management. AD of lignocellulosic biomass is one facet that is highly appreciated since the conflict over biomass for food/feed or energy can be avoided. As a result the need for non-food based lignocellulosic biomass feedstock has emerged as (co-) feedstock of choice for the AD process. Despite these ad...

Bioethanol from lignocellulosics: Status and perspectives in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Mabee, W E; Saddler, J N

2010-07-01

Canada has invested significantly in the development of a domestic bioethanol industry, and it is expected that bioethanol from lignocellulosics will become more desirable to the industry as it expands. Development of the Canadian industry to date is described in this paper, as are examples of domestic research programs focused on both bioconversion and thermochemical conversion to generate biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. The availability of lignocellulosic residues from agricultural and forestry operations, and the potential biofuel production associated with these residues, is described. The policy tools used to develop the domestic bioethanol industry are explored. A residue-based process could greatly extend the potential of the bioethanol industry in Canada. It is estimated that bioethanol production from residual lignocellulosic feedstocks could provide up to 50% of Canada's 2006 transportation fuel demand, given ideal conversion and full access to these feedstocks. Utilizing lignocellulosic biomass will extend the geographic range of the bioethanol industry, and increase the stability and security of this sector by reducing the impact of localized disruptions in supply. Use of disturbance crops could add 9% to this figure, but not in a sustainable fashion. If pursued aggressively, energy crops ultimately could contribute bioethanol at a volume double that of Canada's gasoline consumption in 2006. This would move Canada towards greater transportation fuel independence and a larger role in the export of bioethanol to the global market. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved lignocellulose conversion to biofuels with thermophilic bacteria and thermostable enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhalla, Aditya; Bansal, Namita; Kumar, Sudhir; Bischoff, Kenneth M; Sani, Rajesh K

2013-01-01

Second-generation feedstock, especially nonfood lignocellulosic biomass is a potential source for biofuel production. Cost-intensive physical, chemical, biological pretreatment operations and slow enzymatic hydrolysis make the overall process of lignocellulosic conversion into biofuels less economical than available fossil fuels. Lignocellulose conversions carried out at ≤ 50 °C have several limitations. Therefore, this review focuses on the importance of thermophilic bacteria and thermostable enzymes to overcome the limitations of existing lignocellulosic biomass conversion processes. The influence of high temperatures on various existing lignocellulose conversion processes and those that are under development, including separate hydrolysis and fermentation, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, and extremophilic consolidated bioprocess are also discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deconstruction of ionic liquid pretreated lignocellulosic biomass using mono-component cellulases and hemicellulases and commercial mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Lignocellulosic biomass is comprised of cellulose and hemicellulose, sources of polysaccharides, and lignin, a macromolecule with extensive aromaticity. Lignocellulose requires pretreatment before biochemical conversion to its monomeric sugars which can provide a renewable carbon based feedstock for...

PRETREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES IN BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS

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Vanja Janušić

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Bioethanol is today most commonly produced from corn grain and sugar cane. It is expected that there will be limits to the supply of these raw materials in the near future. Therefore, lignocellulosic biomass, namely agricultural and forest waste, is seen as an attractive feedstock for future supplies of ethanol. Lignocellulosic biomass consists of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose. Indeed, complexicity of the lignocellulosic biomass structure causes a pretreatment to be applied prior to cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysis into fermentable sugars. Pretreatment technologies can be physical (mechanical comminution, pyrolysis, physico-chemical (steam explosion, ammonia fiber explosion, CO2 explosion, chemical (ozonolysis, acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, oxidative delignification, organosolvent process and biological ones.

Biogas from lignocellulosic biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berglund Odhner, Peter; Schabbauer, Anna [Grontmij AB, Stockholm (Sweden); Sarvari Horvath, Ilona; Mohseni Kabir, Maryam [Hoegskolan i Boraas, Boraas (Sweden)

2012-01-15

Grontmij AB has cooperated with the University of Boraas to evaluate the technological and economical possibilities for biogas production from substrates containing lignocellulose, such as forest residues, straw and paper. The state of knowledge regarding biogas production from cellulosic biomass has been summarized. The research in the field has been described, especially focusing on pretreatment methods and their results on increased gas yields. An investigation concerning commercially available pretreatment methods and the cost of these technologies has been performed. An economic evaluation of biogas production from lignocellulosic materials has provided answers to questions regarding the profitability of these processes. Pretreatment with steam explosion was economically evaluated for three feedstocks - wood, straw and paper - and a combination of steam explosion and addition of NaOH for paper. The presented costs pertain to costs for the pretreatment step as it, in this study, was assumed that the pretreatment would be added to an existing plant and the lignocellulosic substrates would be part of a co-digestion process. The results of the investigation indicate that it is difficult to provide a positive net result when comparing the cost of pretreatment versus the gas yield (value) for two of the feedstocks - forest residues and straw. This is mainly due to the high cost of the raw material. For forest residues the steam pretreatment cost exceeded the gas yield by over 50 %, mainly due to the high cost of the raw material. For straw, the production cost was similar to the value of the gas. Paper showed the best economic result. The gas yield (value) for paper exceeded the pretreatment cost by 15 %, which makes it interesting to study paper further.

The impact of stress-response related transcription factors on lignocellulosic hydrolysate inhibitor tolerance of Saccharomyces strains

Science.gov (United States)

Plant biomass is a desirable feedstock for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. Unfortunately, pretreatment processes to release sugars locked in plant biomass, or lignocellulosic feedstocks, lead to the production of fermentation inhibitors, such as furfural and hydroxymethyl furfural, ...

Process Design Report for Stover Feedstock: Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol Process Design and Economics Utilizing Co-Current Dilute Acid Prehydrolysis and Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Corn Stover

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aden, A. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ruth, M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ibsen, K. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jechura, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Neeves, K. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sheehan, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wallace, B. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Montague, L. [Harris Group, Seattle, WA (United States); Slayton, A. [Harris Group, Seattle, WA (United States); Lukas, J. [Harris Group, Seattle, WA (United States)

2002-06-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is promoting the development of ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks as an alternative to conventional petroleum-based transportation fuels. DOE funds both fundamental and applied research in this area and needs a method for predicting cost benefits of many research proposals. To that end, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has modeled many potential process designs and estimated the economics of each process during the last 20 years. This report is an update of the ongoing process design and economic analyses at NREL.

Development of a system for characterizing biomass quality of lignocellulosic feedstocks for biochemical conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Patrick Thomas

The purpose of this research was twofold: (i) to develop a system for screening lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks for biochemical conversion to biofuels and (ii) to evaluate brown midrib corn stover as feedstock for ethanol production. In the first study (Chapter 2), we investigated the potential of corn stover from bm1-4 hybrids for increased ethanol production and reduced pretreatment intensity compared to corn stover from the isogenic normal hybrid. Corn stover from hybrid W64A X A619 and respective isogenic bm hybrids was pretreated by aqueous ammonia steeping using ammonium hydroxide concentrations from 0 to 30%, by weight, and the resulting residues underwent simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF) to ethanol. Dry matter (DM) digested by SSCF increased with increasing ammonium hydroxide concentration across all genotypes (P>0.0001) from 277 g kg-1 DM in the control to 439 g kg-1 DM in the 30% ammonium hydroxide pretreatment. The bm corn stover materials averaged 373 g kg-1 DM of DM digested by SSCF compared with 335 g kg-1 DM for the normal corn stover (Pdetergent fiber (NDF) as a cell-wall isolation procedure, and (iii) elimination of the fermentation organism in the SSCF procedures used to determine biochemically available carbohydrates. The original and the HTP assay methods were compared using corn cobs, hybrid poplar, kenaf, and switchgrass. Biochemically available carbohydrates increased with the HTP methods in the corn cobs, hybrid poplar, and switchgrass, but remained the same in the kenaf. Total available carbohydrates increased and unavailable carbohydrates decreased with the HTP methods in the corn cobs and switchgrass and remained the same in the hybrid poplar and kenaf. There were no differences in total carbohydrates (CT) between the two methods. The final study evaluated the variability of biomass quality parameters in a set of corn stover samples, and developed calibration equations for determining parameter values using near

By-products resulting from lignocellulose pretreatment and their inhibitory effect on fermentations for (bio)chemicals and fuels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pol, van der E.C.; Bakker, R.R.; Baets, P.; Eggink, G.

2014-01-01

Lignocellulose might become an important feedstock for the future development of the biobased economy. Although up to 75 % of the lignocellulose dry weight consists of sugar, it is present in a polymerized state and cannot be used directly in most fermentation processes for the production of

Microbial production host selection for converting second-generation feedstocks into bioproducts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rumbold, K.; Buijsen, H.J.J. van; Overkamp, K.M.; Groenestijn, J.W. van; Punt, P.J.; Werf, M.J.V.D.

2009-01-01

Increasingly lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates are used as the feedstock for industrial fermentations. These biomass hydrolysates are complex mixtures of different fermentable sugars, but also inhibitors and salts that affect the performance of the microbial production host. The performance of

Perspectives for the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrova, Petia; Ivanova, Viara

2010-01-01

The most common renewable fuel today and suitable alternative to replace fossil fuels is ethanol that can be blended with petrol or used as neat alcohol in engines. Ethanol is currently produced from sugar (Brazil) or grain (starch, USA). However, this raw material base will not be sufficient because the increasing demand for fuel ethanol and the lower than expected reduction of greenhouse gases. An alternative is the production of bioethanol from agroindustrial wastes containing abundant cellulose fibers and carbohydrates such as grape pomace, sugar beet pomace, barley and rice straw, corncobs, sunflower stalks and heads, cotton waste, brewer's spent grain, forest residues etc. Lignocellulosic raw materials and agroindustrial wastes minimize the potential conflict between land use for food (and feed) production and energy feedstock production. This review summarizes recent developments in the bioconversion processes, the new technologies required and the advances achieved in recent years to bring agricultural feedstock and lignocellulosic ethanol towards industrial production.

Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels Conversion Pathway: Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating Bio-Oil Pathway "The 2017 Design Case"

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kevin L. Kenney; Kara G. Cafferty; Jacob J. Jacobson; Ian J. Bonner; Garold L. Gresham; J. Richard Hess; William A. Smith; David N. Thompson; Vicki S. Thompson; Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Neal Yancey

2014-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of liquid fuels from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass sustainable supply, logistics, conversion, and overall system sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. Between 2000 and 2012, INL quantified and the economics and sustainability of moving biomass from the field or stand to the throat of the conversion process using conventional equipment and processes. All previous work to 2012 was designed to improve the efficiency and decrease costs under conventional supply systems. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a biomass logistics cost of $55/dry Ton for woody biomass delivered to fast pyrolysis conversion facility. The goal was achieved by applying field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL’s biomass logistics model.

Availability of lignocellulosic feedstocks for lactic acid production - Feedstock availability, lactic acid production potential and selection criteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, R.R.C.

2013-01-01

The overall objective of this study is to assess the worldwide availability and suitability of agricultural residues for lactic acid production, based on fermentation of carbohydrates. The study focuses on lignocellulosic biomass that is produced as a by-product of agricultural production. The

Biodetoxification of toxins generated from lignocellulose pretreatment using a newly isolated fungus, Amorphotheca resinae ZN1, and the consequent ethanol fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Wei

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Degradation of the toxic compounds generated in the harsh pretreatment of lignocellulose is an inevitable step in reducing the toxin level for conducting practical enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation processes. Various detoxification methods have been tried and many negative outcomes were found using these methods, such as the massive freshwater usage and wastewater generation, loss of the fine lignocellulose particles and fermentative sugars and incomplete removal of inhibitors. An alternate method, biodetoxification, which degrades the toxins as part of their normal metabolism, was considered a promising option for the removal of toxins without causing the above problems. Results A kerosene fungus strain, Amorphotheca resinae ZN1, was isolated from the microbial community growing on the pretreated corn stover material. The degradation of the toxins as well as the lignocelluloses-derived sugars was characterized in different ways, and the results show that A. resinae ZN1 utilized each of these toxins and sugars as the sole carbon sources efficiently and grew quickly on the toxins. It was found that the solid-state culture of A. resinae ZN1 on various pretreated lignocellulose feedstocks such as corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, cotton stalk and rape straw degraded all kinds of toxins quickly and efficiently. The consequent simultaneous saccharification and ethanol fermentation was performed at the 30% (wt/wt solid loading of the detoxified lignocellulosic feedstocks without a sterilization step, and the ethanol titer in the fermentation broth reached above 40 g/L using food crop residues as feedstocks. Conclusions The advantages of the present biodetoxification by A. resinae ZN1 over the known detoxification methods include zero energy input, zero wastewater generation, complete toxin degradation, processing on solid pretreated material, no need for sterilization and a wide lignocellulose feedstock spectrum

Rich biotin content in lignocellulose biomass plays the key role in determining cellulosic glutamic acid accumulation by Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Jingbai; Xiao, Yanqiu; Liu, Ting; Gao, Qiuqiang; Bao, Jie

2018-01-01

Lignocellulose is one of the most promising alternative feedstocks for glutamic acid production as commodity building block chemical, but the efforts by the dominant industrial fermentation strain Corynebacterium glutamicum failed for accumulating glutamic acid using lignocellulose feedstock. We identified the existence of surprisingly high biotin concentration in corn stover hydrolysate as the determining factor for the failure of glutamic acid accumulation by Corynebacterium glutamicum . Under excessive biotin content, induction by penicillin resulted in 41.7 ± 0.1 g/L of glutamic acid with the yield of 0.50 g glutamic acid/g glucose. Our further investigation revealed that corn stover contained 353 ± 16 μg of biotin per kg dry solids, approximately one order of magnitude greater than the biotin in corn grain. Most of the biotin remained stable during the biorefining chain and the rich biotin content in corn stover hydrolysate almost completely blocked the glutamic acid accumulation. This rich biotin existence was found to be a common phenomenon in the wide range of lignocellulose biomass and this may be the key reason why the previous studies failed in cellulosic glutamic acid fermentation from lignocellulose biomass. The extended recording of the complete members of all eight vitamin B compounds in lignocellulose biomass further reveals that the major vitamin B members were also under the high concentration levels even after harsh pretreatment. The high content of biotin in wide range of lignocellulose biomass feedstocks and the corresponding hydrolysates was discovered and it was found to be the key factor in determining the cellulosic glutamic acid accumulation. The highly reserved biotin and the high content of their other vitamin B compounds in biorefining process might act as the potential nutrients to biorefining fermentations. This study creates a new insight that lignocellulose biorefining not only generates inhibitors, but also keeps nutrients

Reviving the carbohydrate economy via multi-product lignocellulose biorefineries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Y-H Percival

2008-05-01

Before the industrial revolution, the global economy was largely based on living carbon from plants. Now the economy is mainly dependent on fossil fuels (dead carbon). Biomass is the only sustainable bioresource that can provide sufficient transportation fuels and renewable materials at the same time. Cellulosic ethanol production from less costly and most abundant lignocellulose is confronted with three main obstacles: (1) high processing costs (dollars /gallon of ethanol), (2) huge capital investment (dollars approximately 4-10/gallon of annual ethanol production capacity), and (3) a narrow margin between feedstock and product prices. Both lignocellulose fractionation technology and effective co-utilization of acetic acid, lignin and hemicellulose will be vital to the realization of profitable lignocellulose biorefineries, since co-product revenues would increase the margin up to 6.2-fold, where all purified lignocellulose co-components have higher selling prices (> approximately 1.0/kg) than ethanol ( approximately 0.5/kg of ethanol). Isolation of large amounts of lignocellulose components through lignocellulose fractionation would stimulate R&D in lignin and hemicellulose applications, as well as promote new markets for lignin- and hemicellulose-derivative products. Lignocellulose resource would be sufficient to replace significant fractionations (e.g., 30%) of transportation fuels through liquid biofuels, internal combustion engines in the short term, and would provide 100% transportation fuels by sugar-hydrogen-fuel cell systems in the long term.

Engineering Ligninolytic Consortium for Bioconversion of Lignocelluloses to Ethanol and Chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilal, Muhammad; Nawaz, Muhammad Zohaib; Iqbal, Hafiz M N; Hou, Jialin; Mahboob, Shahid; Al-Ghanim, Khalid A; Cheng, Hairong

2018-01-01

Rising environmental concerns and recent global scenario of cleaner production and consumption are leading to the design of green industrial processes to produce alternative fuels and chemicals. Although bioethanol is one of the most promising and eco-friendly alternatives to fossil fuels yet its production from food and feed has received much negative criticism. The main objective of this study was to present the noteworthy potentialities of lignocellulosic biomass as an enormous and renewable biological resource. The particular focus was also given on engineering ligninolytic consortium for bioconversion of lignocelluloses to ethanol and chemicals on sustainable and environmentally basis. Herein, an effort has been made to extensively review, analyze and compile salient information related to the topic of interest. Several authentic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, Springer, Bentham Science and other scientific databases were searched with utmost care, and inclusion/ exclusion criterion was adopted to appraise the quality of retrieved peer-reviewed research literature. Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass can largely satisfy the possible inconsistency of first-generation ethanol since it utilizes inedible lignocellulosic feedstocks, primarily sourced from agriculture and forestry wastes. Two major polysaccharides in lignocellulosic biomass namely, cellulose and hemicellulose constitute a complex lignocellulosic network by connecting with lignin, which is highly recalcitrant to depolymerization. Several attempts have been made to reduce the cost involved in the process through improving the pretreatment process. While, the ligninolytic enzymes of white rot fungi (WRF) including laccase, lignin peroxidase (LiP), and manganese peroxidase (MnP) have appeared as versatile biocatalysts for delignification of several lignocellulosic residues. The first part of the review is mainly focused on engineering ligninolytic consortium

Manipulating microRNAs for improved biomass and biofuels from plant feedstocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Trumbo, Jennifer Lynn; Zhang, Baohong; Stewart, Charles Neal

2015-04-01

Petroleum-based fuels are nonrenewable and unsustainable. Renewable sources of energy, such as lignocellulosic biofuels and plant metabolite-based drop-in fuels, can offset fossil fuel use and reverse environmental degradation through carbon sequestration. Despite these benefits, the lignocellulosic biofuels industry still faces many challenges, including the availability of economically viable crop plants. Cell wall recalcitrance is a major economic barrier for lignocellulosic biofuels production from biomass crops. Sustainability and biomass yield are two additional, yet interrelated, foci for biomass crop improvement. Many scientists are searching for solutions to these problems within biomass crop genomes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in almost all biological and metabolic process in plants including plant development, cell wall biosynthesis and plant stress responses. Because of the broad functions of their targets (e.g. auxin response factors), the alteration of plant miRNA expression often results in pleiotropic effects. A specific miRNA usually regulates a biologically relevant bioenergy trait. For example, relatively low miR156 overexpression leads to a transgenic feedstock with enhanced biomass and decreased recalcitrance. miRNAs have been overexpressed in dedicated bioenergy feedstocks such as poplar and switchgrass yielding promising results for lignin reduction, increased plant biomass, the timing of flowering and response to harsh environments. In this review, we present the status of miRNA-related research in several major biofuel crops and relevant model plants. We critically assess published research and suggest next steps for miRNA manipulation in feedstocks for increased biomass and sustainability for biofuels and bioproducts. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Weedy lignocellulosic feedstock and microbial metabolic engineering. Advancing the generation of 'Biofuel'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandel, Anuj K. [Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Univ., Hyderabad (India). Centre of Biotechnology; Singh, Om V. [Pittsburgh Univ., Bradford, PA (United States). Div. of Biological and Health Sciences

2011-03-15

Lignocellulosic materials are the most abundant renewable organic resources ({proportional_to}200 billion tons annually) on earth that are readily available for conversion to ethanol and other value-added products, but they have not yet been tapped for the commercial production of fuel ethanol. The lignocellulosic substrates include woody substrates such as hardwood (birch and aspen, etc.) and softwood (spruce and pine, etc.), agro residues (wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, corn stover, etc.), dedicated energy crops (switch grass, and Miscanthus etc.), weedy materials (Eicchornia crassipes, Lantana camara etc.), and municipal solid waste (food and kitchen waste, etc.). Despite the success achieved in the laboratory, there are limitations to success with lignocellulosic substrates on a commercial scale. The future of lignocellulosics is expected to lie in improvements of plant biomass, metabolic engineering of ethanol, and cellulolytic enzyme-producing microorganisms, fullest exploitation of weed materials, and process integration of the individual steps involved in bioethanol production. Issues related to the chemical composition of various weedy raw substrates for bioethanol formation, including chemical composition-based structural hydrolysis of the substrate, need special attention. This area could be opened up further by exploring genetically modified metabolic engineering routes in weedy materials and in biocatalysts that would make the production of bioethanol more efficient. (orig.)

Biological strategies for enhanced hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass during anaerobic digestion: Current status and future perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Shilva; Fonoll, Xavier; Khanal, Samir Kumar; Raskin, Lutgarde

2017-12-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant renewable bioresource on earth. In lignocellulosic biomass, the cellulose and hemicellulose are bound with lignin and other molecules to form a complex structure not easily accessible to microbial degradation. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of lignocellulosic biomass with a focus on improving hydrolysis, the rate limiting step in AD of lignocellulosic feedstocks, has received considerable attention. This review highlights challenges with AD of lignocellulosic biomass, factors contributing to its recalcitrance, and natural microbial ecosystems, such as the gastrointestinal tracts of herbivorous animals, capable of performing hydrolysis efficiently. Biological strategies that have been evaluated to enhance hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass include biological pretreatment, co-digestion, and inoculum selection. Strategies to further improve these approaches along with future research directions are outlined with a focus on linking studies of microbial communities involved in hydrolysis of lignocellulosics to process engineering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cellulase-lignin interactions in the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahikainen, J.

2013-11-01

Today, the production of transportation fuels and chemicals is heavily dependent on fossil carbon sources, such as oil and natural gas. Their limited availability and the environmental concerns arising from their use have driven the search for renewable alternatives. Lignocellulosic plant biomass is the most abundant, but currently underutilised, renewable carbon-rich resource for fuel and chemical production. Enzymatic degradation of structural polysaccharides in lignocellulose produces soluble carbohydrates that serve as ideal precursors for the production of a vast amount of different chemical compounds. The difficulty in full exploitation of lignocellulose for fuel and chemical production lies in the complex and recalcitrant structure of the raw material. Lignocellulose is mainly composed of structural polysaccharides, cellulose and hemicellulose, but also of lignin, which is an aromatic polymer. Enzymatic degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose is restricted by several substrate- and enzyme-related factors, among which lignin is considered as one of the most problematic issues. Lignin restricts the action of hydrolytic enzymes and enzyme binding onto lignin has been identified as a major inhibitory mechanism preventing efficient hydrolysis of lignocellulosic feedstocks. In this thesis, the interactions between cellulase enzymes and lignin-rich compounds were studied in detail and the findings reported in this work have the potential to help in controlling the harmful cellulase-lignin interactions, and thus improve the biochemical processing route from lignocellulose to fuels and chemicals.

Production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic materials via the biochemical pathway: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balat, Mustafa

2011-01-01

Bioethanol is by far the most widely used biofuel for transportation worldwide. Production of bioethanol from biomass is one way to reduce both consumption of crude oil and environmental pollution. Bioethanol can be produced from different kinds of raw materials. These raw materials are classified into three categories of agricultural raw materials: simple sugars, starch and lignocellulose. The price of the raw materials is highly volatile, which can highly affect the production costs of the bioethanol. One major problem with bioethanol production is the availability of raw materials for the production. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most promising feedstock considering its great availability and low cost, but the large-scale commercial production of fuel bioethanol from lignocellulosic materials has still not been implemented.

Upgrading Lignocellulosic Biomasses: Hydrogenolysis of Platform Derived Molecules Promoted by Heterogeneous Pd-Fe Catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Espro

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This review provides an overview of heterogeneous bimetallic Pd-Fe catalysts in the C–C and C–O cleavage of platform molecules such as C2–C6 polyols, furfural, phenol derivatives and aromatic ethers that are all easily obtainable from renewable cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin (the major components of lignocellulosic biomasses. The interaction between palladium and iron affords bimetallic Pd-Fe sites (ensemble or alloy that were found to be very active in several sustainable reactions including hydrogenolysis, catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis (CTH and aqueous phase reforming (APR that will be highlighted. This contribution concentrates also on the different synthetic strategies (incipient wetness impregnation, deposition-precipitaion, co-precipitaion adopted for the preparation of heterogeneous Pd-Fe systems as well as on the main characterization techniques used (XRD, TEM, H2-TPR, XPS and EXAFS in order to elucidate the key factors that influence the unique catalytic performances observed.

Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels: Conversion Pathway: Biological Conversion of Sugars to Hydrocarbons The 2017 Design Case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kevin Kenney; Kara G. Cafferty; Jacob J. Jacobson; Ian J Bonner; Garold L. Gresham; William A. Smith; David N. Thompson; Vicki S. Thompson; Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Neal Yancey

2013-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of a range of liquid fuels and fuel blendstocks from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass collection, conversion, and sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. Between 2000 and 2012, INL conducted a campaign to quantify the economics and sustainability of moving biomass from standing in the field or stand to the throat of the biomass conversion process. The goal of this program was to establish the current costs based on conventional equipment and processes, design improvements to the current system, and to mark annual improvements based on higher efficiencies or better designs. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a delivered biomass logistics cost of $35/dry ton. This goal was successfully achieved in 2012 by implementing field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL’s biomass logistics model. Looking forward to 2017, the programmatic target is to supply biomass to the conversion facilities at a total cost of $80/dry ton and on specification with in-feed requirements. The goal of the 2017 Design Case is to enable expansion of biofuels production beyond highly productive resource areas by breaking the reliance of cost-competitive biofuel production on a single, abundant, low-cost feedstock. If this goal is not achieved, biofuel plants are destined to be small and/or clustered in select regions of the country that have a lock on low-cost feedstock. To put the 2017 cost target into perspective of past accomplishments of the cellulosic ethanol pathway, the $80 target encompasses total delivered feedstock cost, including both grower payment and logistics costs, while meeting all

The Chemistry and Technology of Furfural Production in Modern Lignocellulose-Feedstock Biorefineries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcotullio, G.

2011-01-01

This dissertation deals with biorefinery technology development, i.e. with the development of sustainable industrial methods aimed at the production of chemicals, fuels, heat and power from lignocellulosic biomass. This work is particularly focused on the production of furfural from

Sustainable Process Design of Lignocellulose based Biofuel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mangnimit, Saranya; Malakul, Pomthong; Gani, Rafiqul

the production and use of alternative and sustainable energy sources as rapidly as possible. Biofuel is a type of alternative energy that can be produced from many sources including sugar substances (such as sugarcane juice and molasses), starchy materials (such as corn and cassava), and lignocellulosic...... materials such as agricultural residual, straw and wood chips, the residual from wood industry. However, those sugar and starchy materials can be used not only to make biofuels but they are also food sources. Thus, lignocellulosic materials are interesting feed-stocls as they are inexpensive, abundantly...... available, and are also non-food crops. In this respect, Cassava rhizome has several characteristics that make it a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production. It has high content of cellulose and hemicelluloses . The objective of this paper is to present a study focused on the sustainable process...

Pre-treatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks using biorenewable alcohols: : towards complete biomass valorisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lancefield, Christopher S.; Panovic, Isabella; Deuss, Peter J.; Barta, Katalin; Westwood, Nicholas J.

2017-01-01

Here, we report on the ability of the biomass derived solvents ethanol and, in particular, n-butanol to fractionate lignocellulose into its main components. An organosolv system consisting of n-butanol containing 5% water and 0.2 M HCl at reflux was found to remove effectively the lignin and

Enzyme Characterization of Cellulase and Hemicellulases Component Enzymes and Saccharification of Ionic Liquid Pretreated Lignocellulosic Biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Lignocellulosic biomass is comprised of cellulose and hemicellulose, sources of polysaccharides, and lignin, a macromolecule with extensive aromaticity. Terrestrial biomass can provide a renewable carbon based feedstock for fuel and chemical production. However, recalcitrance of biomass to deconstru...

Review of the direct thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass for liquid fuels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianchun JIANG,Junming XU,Zhanqian SONG

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Increased demand for liquid transportation fuels, environmental concerns and depletion of petroleum resources requires the development of efficient conversion technologies for production of second-generation biofuels from non-food resources. Thermochemical approaches hold great potential for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into liquid fuels. Direct thermochemical processes convert biomass into liquid fuels in one step using heat and catalysts and have many advantages over indirect and biological processes, such as greater feedstock flexibility, integrated conversion of whole biomass, and lower operation costs. Several direct thermochemical processes are employed in the production of liquid biofuels depending on the nature of the feedstock properties: such as fast pyrolysis/liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass for bio-oil, including upgrading methods, such as catalytic cracking and hydrogenation. Owing to the substantial amount of liquid fuels consumed by vehicular transport, converting biomass into drop-in liquid fuels may reduce the dependence of the fuel market on petroleum-based fuel products. In this review, we also summarize recent progress in technologies for large-scale equipment for direct thermochemical conversion. We focus on the technical aspects critical to commercialization of the technologies for production of liquid fuels from biomass, including feedstock type, cracking catalysts, catalytic cracking mechanisms, catalytic reactors, and biofuel properties. We also discuss future prospects for direct thermochemical conversion in biorefineries for the production of high grade biofuels.

Strategies for 2nd generation biofuels in EU - Co-firing to stimulate feedstock supply development and process integration to improve energy efficiency and economic competitiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berndes, Goeran; Hansson, Julia; Egeskog, Andrea; Johnsson, Filip

2010-01-01

The present biofuel policies in the European Union primarily stimulate 1st generation biofuels that are produced based on conventional food crops. They may be a distraction from lignocellulose based 2nd generation biofuels - and also from biomass use for heat and electricity - by keeping farmers' attention and significant investments focusing on first generation biofuels and the cultivation of conventional food crops as feedstocks. This article presents two strategies that can contribute to the development of 2nd generation biofuels based on lignocellulosic feedstocks. The integration of gasification-based biofuel plants in district heating systems is one option for increasing the energy efficiency and improving the economic competitiveness of such biofuels. Another option, biomass co-firing with coal, generates high-efficiency biomass electricity and reduces CO 2 emissions by replacing coal. It also offers a near-term market for lignocellulosic biomass, which can stimulate development of supply systems for biomass also suitable as feedstock for 2nd generation biofuels. Regardless of the long-term priorities of biomass use for energy, the stimulation of lignocellulosic biomass production by development of near term and cost-effective markets is judged to be a no-regrets strategy for Europe. Strategies that induce a relevant development and exploit existing energy infrastructures in order to reduce risk and reach lower costs, are proposed an attractive complement the present and prospective biofuel policies. (author)

Determining the cost of producing ethanol from corn starch and lignocellulosic feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McAloon, Andrew [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. (United States); Taylor, Frank [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. (United States); Yee, Winnie [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. (United States); Ibsen, Kelly [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wooley, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2000-10-01

This report describes the comparison of the processes, each producing 25 million annual gallons of fuel ethanol. This paper attempts to compare the two processes as mature technologies, which requires assuming that the technology improvements needed to make the lignocellulosic process commercializable are achieved, and enough plants have been built to make the design well-understood.

Process Design and Economics for Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2011-05-02

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) promotes the production of ethanol and other liquid fuels from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass collection, conversion, and sustainability. As part of its involvement in the program, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) investigates the production economics of these fuels.

Regional Feedstock Partnership Summary Report: Enabling the Billion-Ton Vision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owens, Vance N. [South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD (United States). North Central Sun Grant Center; Karlen, Douglas L. [Dept. of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA (United States). National Lab. for Agriculture and the Environment; Lacey, Jeffrey A. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Process Science and Technology Division

2016-07-12

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Sun Grant Initiative established the Regional Feedstock Partnership (referred to as the Partnership) to address information gaps associated with enabling the vision of a sustainable, reliable, billion-ton U.S. bioenergy industry by the year 2030 (i.e., the Billion-Ton Vision). Over the past 7 years (2008–2014), the Partnership has been successful at advancing the biomass feedstock production industry in the United States, with notable accomplishments. The Billion-Ton Study identifies the technical potential to expand domestic biomass production to offset up to 30% of U.S. petroleum consumption, while continuing to meet demands for food, feed, fiber, and export. This study verifies for the biofuels and chemical industries that a real and substantial resource base could justify the significant investment needed to develop robust conversion technologies and commercial-scale facilities. DOE and the Sun Grant Initiative established the Partnership to demonstrate and validate the underlying assumptions underpinning the Billion-Ton Vision to supply a sustainable and reliable source of lignocellulosic feedstock to a large-scale bioenergy industry. This report discusses the accomplishments of the Partnership, with references to accompanying scientific publications. These accomplishments include advances in sustainable feedstock production, feedstock yield, yield stability and stand persistence, energy crop commercialization readiness, information transfer, assessment of the economic impacts of achieving the Billion-Ton Vision, and the impact of feedstock species and environment conditions on feedstock quality characteristics.

Toward Narrowing Fermentation Endproduct Distribution in Undefined Mixed Culture Anaerobic Conversion of Lignocellulosic Corn Fiber to Butyrate

Science.gov (United States)

Conversion of second-generation renewable energy sources to useful products is gaining attention as an alternative to traditional conversion of sugar and starch-based renewable energy crops. The natural recalcitrance of second-generation energy resources, such as (ligno)cellulosic feedstock, makes ...

Lignocellulosic Biomass Transformations via Greener Oxidative Pretreatment Processes: Access to Energy and Value-Added Chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Den, Walter; Sharma, Virender K; Lee, Mengshan; Nadadur, Govind; Varma, Rajender S

2018-01-01

Anthropogenic climate change, principally induced by the large volume of carbon dioxide emission from the global economy driven by fossil fuels, has been observed and scientifically proven as a major threat to civilization. Meanwhile, fossil fuel depletion has been identified as a future challenge. Lignocellulosic biomass in the form of organic residues appears to be the most promising option as renewable feedstock for the generation of energy and platform chemicals. As of today, relatively little bioenergy comes from lignocellulosic biomass as compared to feedstock such as starch and sugarcane, primarily due to high cost of production involving pretreatment steps required to fragment biomass components via disruption of the natural recalcitrant structure of these rigid polymers; low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of refractory feedstock presents a major challenge. The valorization of lignin and cellulose into energy products or chemical products is contingent on the effectiveness of selective depolymerization of the pretreatment regime which typically involve harsh pyrolytic and solvothermal processes assisted by corrosive acids or alkaline reagents. These unselective methods decompose lignin into many products that may not be energetically or chemically valuable, or even biologically inhibitory. Exploring milder, selective and greener processes, therefore, has become a critical subject of study for the valorization of these materials in the last decade. Efficient alternative activation processes such as microwave- and ultrasound irradiation are being explored as replacements for pyrolysis and hydrothermolysis, while milder options such as advanced oxidative and catalytic processes should be considered as choices to harsher acid and alkaline processes. Herein, we critically abridge the research on chemical oxidative techniques for the pretreatment of lignocellulosics with the explicit aim to rationalize the objectives of the biomass pretreatment step and the

Integrating social and value dimensions into sustainability assessment of lignocellulosic biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Raman, Sujatha; Mohr, Alison; Helliwell, Richard; Ribeiro, Barbara; Shortall, Orla; Smith, Robert; Millar, Kate

2015-11-01

The paper clarifies the social and value dimensions for integrated sustainability assessments of lignocellulosic biofuels. We develop a responsible innovation approach, looking at technology impacts and implementation challenges, assumptions and value conflicts influencing how impacts are identified and assessed, and different visions for future development. We identify three distinct value-based visions. From a techno-economic perspective, lignocellulosic biofuels can contribute to energy security with improved GHG implications and fewer sustainability problems than fossil fuels and first-generation biofuels, especially when biomass is domestically sourced. From socio-economic and cultural-economic perspectives, there are concerns about the capacity to support UK-sourced feedstocks in a global agri-economy, difficulties monitoring large-scale supply chains and their potential for distributing impacts unfairly, and tensions between domestic sourcing and established legacies of farming. To respond to these concerns, we identify the potential for moving away from a one-size-fits-all biofuel/biorefinery model to regionally-tailored bioenergy configurations that might lower large-scale uses of land for meat, reduce monocultures and fossil-energy needs of farming and diversify business models. These configurations could explore ways of reconciling some conflicts between food, fuel and feed (by mixing feed crops with lignocellulosic material for fuel, combining livestock grazing with energy crops, or using crops such as miscanthus to manage land that is no longer arable); different bioenergy applications (with on-farm use of feedstocks for heat and power and for commercial biofuel production); and climate change objectives and pressures on farming. Findings are based on stakeholder interviews, literature synthesis and discussions with an expert advisory group.

Economic and environmental optimization of a large scale sustainable dual feedstock lignocellulosic-based bioethanol supply chain in a stochastic environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osmani, Atif; Zhang, Jun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • 2-Stage stochastic MILP model for optimizing the performance of a sustainable lignocellulosic-based biofuel supply chain. • Multiple uncertainties in biomass supply, purchase price of biomass, bioethanol demand, and sale price of bioethanol. • Stochastic parameters significantly impact the allocation of biomass processing capacities of biorefineries. • Location of biorefineries and choice of conversion technology is found to be insensitive to the stochastic environment. • Use of Sample Average Approximation (SAA) algorithm as a decomposition technique. - Abstract: This work proposes a two-stage stochastic optimization model to maximize the expected profit and simultaneously minimize carbon emissions of a dual-feedstock lignocellulosic-based bioethanol supply chain (LBSC) under uncertainties in supply, demand and prices. The model decides the optimal first-stage decisions and the expected values of the second-stage decisions. A case study based on a 4-state Midwestern region in the US demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed stochastic model over a deterministic model under uncertainties. Two regional modes are considered for the geographic scale of the LBSC. Under co-operation mode the 4 states are considered as a combined region while under stand-alone mode each of the 4 states is considered as an individual region. Each state under co-operation mode gives better financial and environmental outcomes when compared to stand-alone mode. Uncertainty has a significant impact on the biomass processing capacity of biorefineries. While the location and the choice of conversion technology for biorefineries i.e. biochemical vs. thermochemical, are insensitive to the stochastic environment. As variability of the stochastic parameters increases, the financial and environmental performance is degraded. Sensitivity analysis shows that levels of tax credit and carbon price have a major impact on the choice of conversion technology for a selected

Laccases as a Potential Tool for the Efficient Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Úrsula Fillat

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The continuous increase in the world energy and chemicals demand requires the development of sustainable alternatives to non-renewable sources of energy. Biomass facilities and biorefineries represent interesting options to gradually replace the present industry based on fossil fuels. Lignocellulose is the most promising feedstock to be used in biorefineries. From a sugar platform perspective, a wide range of fuels and chemicals can be obtained via microbial fermentation processes, being ethanol the most significant lignocellulose-derived fuel. Before fermentation, lignocellulose must be pretreated to overcome its inherent recalcitrant structure and obtain the fermentable sugars. Usually, harsh conditions are required for pretreatment of lignocellulose, producing biomass degradation and releasing different compounds that are inhibitors of the hydrolytic enzymes and fermenting microorganisms. Moreover, the lignin polymer that remains in pretreated materials also affects biomass conversion by limiting the enzymatic hydrolysis. The use of laccases has been considered as a very powerful tool for delignification and detoxification of pretreated lignocellulosic materials, boosting subsequent saccharification and fermentation processes. This review compiles the latest studies about the application of laccases as useful and environmentally friendly delignification and detoxification technology, highlighting the main challenges and possible ways to make possible the integration of these enzymes in future lignocellulose-based industries.

Characterisation of Arabica Coffee Pulp - Hay from Kintamani - Bali as Prospective Biogas Feedstocks

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Hendroko Setyobudi Roy

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The huge amount of coffee pulp waste is an environmental problem. Anaerobic fermentation is one of the alternative solutions. However, availability of coffee pulp does not appear for year-round, whereas biogas needs continuous feedstocks for digester stability. This research uses coffee pulp from Arabica Coffee Factory at Mengani, Kintamani, Bali–Indonesia. The coffee pulp was transformed into coffee pulp-hay product by sun drying for preservations to extend the raw materials through the year. Characterization of coffee pulp-hay was conducted after to keep for 15 mo for review the prospect as biogas feedstocks. Several parameters were analyzed such as C/N ratio, volatile solids, carbohydrate, protein, fat, lignocellulose content, macro-micro nutrients, and density. The review results indicated that coffee pulp-hay is prospective raw material for biogas feedstock. This well-proven preservation technology was able to fulfill the continuous supply. Furthermore, some problems were found in the recent preliminary experiment related to the density and fungi growth in the conventional laboratory digester. Further investigation was needed to implement the coffee pulp – hay as biogas feedstocks.

Efficient hydrogen production from the lignocellulosic energy crop Miscanthus by the extreme thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermotoga neapolitana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vrije, de G.J.; Bakker, R.R.; Budde, M.A.W.; Lai, M.H.; Mars, A.E.; Claassen, P.A.M.

2009-01-01

The production of hydrogen from biomass by fermentation is one of the routes that can contribute to a future sustainable hydrogen economy. Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive feedstock because of its abundance, low production costs and high polysaccharide content. Batch cultures of

Thermotolerant Yeasts for Bioethanol Production Using Lignocellulosic Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Pasha, Chand; Rao, L. Venkateswar

No other sustainable option for production of transportation fuels can match ethanol made from lignocellulosic biomass with respect to its dramatic environmental, economic, strategic and infrastructure advantages. Substantial progress has been made in advancing biomass ethanol (bioethanol) production technology to the point that it now has commercial potential, and several firms are engaged in the demanding task of introducing first-of-a-kind technology into the marketplace to make bioethanol a reality in existing fuel-blending markets. In order to lower pollution India has a long-term goal to use biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel). Ethanol may be used either in pure form, or as a blend in petrol in different proportions. Since the cost of raw materials, which can account up to 50 % of the total production cost, is one of the most significant factors affecting the economy of alcohol, nowadays efforts are more concentrated on using cheap and abundant raw materials. Several forms of biomass resources exist (starch or sugar crops, weeds, oil plants, agricultural, forestry and municipal wastes) but of all biomass cellulosic resources represent the most abundant global source. The lignocellulosic materials include agricultural residues, municipal solid wastes (MSW), pulp mill refuse, switchgrass and lawn, garden wastes. Lignocellulosic materials contain two types of polysaccharides, cellulose and hemicellulose, bound together by a third component lignin. The principal elements of the lignocellulosic research include: i) evaluation and characterization of the waste feedstock; ii) pretreatment including initial clean up or dewatering of the feedstock; and iii) development of effective direct conversion bioprocessing to generate ethanol as an end product. Pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials is a step in which some of the hemicellulose dissolves in water, either as monomeric sugars or as oligomers and polymers. The cellulose cannot be enzymatically hydrolyzed to

Lignocellulosic Biomass Transformations via Greener Oxidative Pretreatment Processes: Access to Energy and Value-Added Chemicals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter Den

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Anthropogenic climate change, principally induced by the large volume of carbon dioxide emission from the global economy driven by fossil fuels, has been observed and scientifically proven as a major threat to civilization. Meanwhile, fossil fuel depletion has been identified as a future challenge. Lignocellulosic biomass in the form of organic residues appears to be the most promising option as renewable feedstock for the generation of energy and platform chemicals. As of today, relatively little bioenergy comes from lignocellulosic biomass as compared to feedstock such as starch and sugarcane, primarily due to high cost of production involving pretreatment steps required to fragment biomass components via disruption of the natural recalcitrant structure of these rigid polymers; low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of refractory feedstock presents a major challenge. The valorization of lignin and cellulose into energy products or chemical products is contingent on the effectiveness of selective depolymerization of the pretreatment regime which typically involve harsh pyrolytic and solvothermal processes assisted by corrosive acids or alkaline reagents. These unselective methods decompose lignin into many products that may not be energetically or chemically valuable, or even biologically inhibitory. Exploring milder, selective and greener processes, therefore, has become a critical subject of study for the valorization of these materials in the last decade. Efficient alternative activation processes such as microwave- and ultrasound irradiation are being explored as replacements for pyrolysis and hydrothermolysis, while milder options such as advanced oxidative and catalytic processes should be considered as choices to harsher acid and alkaline processes. Herein, we critically abridge the research on chemical oxidative techniques for the pretreatment of lignocellulosics with the explicit aim to rationalize the objectives of the biomass

Lignocellulosic Biomass Transformations via Greener Oxidative Pretreatment Processes: Access to Energy and Value-Added Chemicals

Science.gov (United States)

Den, Walter; Sharma, Virender K.; Lee, Mengshan; Nadadur, Govind; Varma, Rajender S.

2018-01-01

Anthropogenic climate change, principally induced by the large volume of carbon dioxide emission from the global economy driven by fossil fuels, has been observed and scientifically proven as a major threat to civilization. Meanwhile, fossil fuel depletion has been identified as a future challenge. Lignocellulosic biomass in the form of organic residues appears to be the most promising option as renewable feedstock for the generation of energy and platform chemicals. As of today, relatively little bioenergy comes from lignocellulosic biomass as compared to feedstock such as starch and sugarcane, primarily due to high cost of production involving pretreatment steps required to fragment biomass components via disruption of the natural recalcitrant structure of these rigid polymers; low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of refractory feedstock presents a major challenge. The valorization of lignin and cellulose into energy products or chemical products is contingent on the effectiveness of selective depolymerization of the pretreatment regime which typically involve harsh pyrolytic and solvothermal processes assisted by corrosive acids or alkaline reagents. These unselective methods decompose lignin into many products that may not be energetically or chemically valuable, or even biologically inhibitory. Exploring milder, selective and greener processes, therefore, has become a critical subject of study for the valorization of these materials in the last decade. Efficient alternative activation processes such as microwave- and ultrasound irradiation are being explored as replacements for pyrolysis and hydrothermolysis, while milder options such as advanced oxidative and catalytic processes should be considered as choices to harsher acid and alkaline processes. Herein, we critically abridge the research on chemical oxidative techniques for the pretreatment of lignocellulosics with the explicit aim to rationalize the objectives of the biomass pretreatment step and the

Saccharification of recalcitrant biomass and integration options for lignocellulosic sugars from Catchlight Energy's sugar process (CLE Sugar).

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Johnway; Anderson, Dwight; Levie, Benjamin

2013-01-28

Woody biomass is one of the most abundant biomass feedstocks, besides agriculture residuals in the United States. The sustainable harvest residuals and thinnings alone are estimated at about 75 million tons/year. These forest residuals and thinnings could produce the equivalent of 5 billion gallons of lignocellulosic ethanol annually. Softwood biomass is the most recalcitrant biomass in pretreatment before an enzymatic hydrolysis. To utilize the most recalcitrant lignocellulosic materials, an efficient, industrially scalable and cost effective pretreatment method is needed. Obtaining a high yield of sugar from recalcitrant biomass generally requires a high severity of pretreatment with aggressive chemistry, followed by extensive conditioning, and large doses of enzymes. Catchlight Energy's Sugar process, CLE Sugar, uses a low intensity, high throughput variation of bisulfite pulping to pretreat recalcitrant biomass, such as softwood forest residuals. By leveraging well-proven bisulfite technology and the rapid progress of enzyme suppliers, CLE Sugar can achieve a high yield of total biomass carbohydrate conversion to monomeric lignocellulosic sugars. For example, 85.8% of biomass carbohydrates are saccharified for un-debarked Loblolly pine chips (softwood), and 94.0% for debarked maple chips (hardwood). Furan compound formation was 1.29% of biomass feedstock for Loblolly pine and 1.10% for maple. At 17% solids hydrolysis of pretreated softwood, an enzyme dose of 0.075 g Sigma enzyme mixture/g dry pretreated (unwashed) biomass was needed to achieve 8.1% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate and an overall prehydrolysate liquor plus enzymatic hydrolysis conversion yield of 76.6%. At a much lower enzyme dosage of 0.044 g CTec2 enzyme product/g dry (unwashed) pretreated softwood, hydrolysis at 17% solids achieved 9.2% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate with an overall sugar yield of 85.0% in the combined prehydrolysate liquor and enzymatic hydrolysate. CLE Sugar has

Examination of lignocellulosic fibers for chemical, thermal, and separations properties: Addressing thermo-chemical stability issues

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Carter David

Natural fiber-plastic composites incorporate thermoplastic resins with fibrous plant-based materials, sometimes referred to as biomass. Pine wood mill waste has been the traditional source of natural fibrous feedstock. In anticipation of a waste wood shortage other fibrous biomass materials are being investigated as potential supplements or replacements. Perennial grasses, agricultural wastes, and woody biomass are among the potential source materials. As these feedstocks share the basic chemical building blocks; cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, they are collectively called lignocellulosics. Initial investigation of a number of lignocellulosic materials, applied to fiber-plastic composite processing and material testing, resulted in varied results, particularly response to processing conditions. Less thermally stable lignocellulosic filler materials were physically changed in observable ways: darkened color and odor. The effect of biomass materials' chemical composition on thermal stability was investigated an experiment involving determination of the chemical composition of seven lignocellulosics: corn hull, corn stover, fescue, pine, soy hull, soy stover, and switchgrass. These materials were also evaluated for thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis. The results of these determinations indicated that both chemical composition and pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials can have an effect on their thermal stability. A second study was performed to investigate what effect different pretreatment systems have on hybrid poplar, pine, and switchgrass. These materials were treated with hot water, ethanol, and a 2:1 benzene/ethanol mixture for extraction times of: 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours. This factorial experiment demonstrated that both extraction time and medium have an effect on the weight percent of extractives removed from all three material types. The extracted materials generated in the above study were then subjected to an evaluation of thermal

Feasibility study for co-locating and integrating ethanol production plants from corn starch and lignocellulosic feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallace, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ibsen, Kelly [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); McAloon, Andrew [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. (United States); Yee, Winnie [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. (United States)

2005-01-01

Analysis of the feasibility of co-locating corn-grain-to-ethanol and lignocellulosic ethanol plants and potential savings from combining utilities, ethanol purification, product processing, and fermentation.

How does technology pathway choice influence economic viability and environmental impacts of lignocellulosic biorefineries?

Science.gov (United States)

Rajendran, Karthik; Murthy, Ganti S

2017-01-01

The need for liquid fuels in the transportation sector is increasing, and it is essential to develop industrially sustainable processes that simultaneously address the tri-fold sustainability metrics of technological feasibility, economic viability, and environmental impacts. Biorefineries based on lignocellulosic feedstocks could yield high-value products such as ethyl acetate, dodecane, ethylene, and hexane. This work focuses on assessing biochemical and biomass to electricity platforms for conversion of Banagrass and Energycane into valuable fuels and chemicals using the tri-fold sustainability metrics. The production cost of various products produced from Banagrass was $1.19/kg ethanol, $1.00/kg ethyl acetate, $3.01/kg dodecane (jet fuel equivalent), $2.34/kg ethylene and $0.32/kW-h electricity. The production cost of different products using Energycane as a feedstock was $1.31/kg ethanol, $1.11/kg ethyl acetate, $3.35/kg dodecane, and $2.62/kg ethylene. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the price of the main product, feedstock cost and cost of ethanol affected the profitability the overall process. Banagrass yielded 11% higher ethanol compared to Energycane, which could be attributed to the differences in the composition of these lignocellulosic biomass sources. Acidification potential was highest when ethylene was produced at the rate of 2.56 × 10 -2 and 1.71 × 10 -2 kg SO 2 eq. for Banagrass and Energycane, respectively. Ethanol production from Banagrass and Energycane resulted in a global warming potential of - 12.3 and - 40.0 g CO 2  eq./kg ethanol. Utilizing hexoses and pentoses from Banagrass to produce ethyl acetate was the most economical scenario with a payback period of 11.2 years and an ROI of 8.93%, respectively. Electricity production was the most unprofitable scenario with an ROI of - 29.6% using Banagrass/Energycane as a feedstock that could be attributed to high feedstock moisture content. Producing ethylene or dodecane from

Cellulose accessibility limits the effectiveness of minimum cellulase loading on the efficient hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saddler Jack N

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract A range of lignocellulosic feedstocks (including agricultural, softwood and hardwood substrates were pretreated with either sulfur dioxide-catalyzed steam or an ethanol organosolv procedure to try to establish a reliable assessment of the factors governing the minimum protein loading that could be used to achieve efficient hydrolysis. A statistical design approach was first used to define what might constitute the minimum protein loading (cellulases and β-glucosidase that could be used to achieve efficient saccharification (defined as at least 70% glucan conversion of the pretreated substrates after 72 hours of hydrolysis. The likely substrate factors that limit cellulose availability/accessibility were assessed, and then compared with the optimized minimum amounts of protein used to obtain effective hydrolysis. The optimized minimum protein loadings to achieve efficient hydrolysis of seven pretreated substrates ranged between 18 and 63 mg protein per gram of glucan. Within the similarly pretreated group of lignocellulosic feedstocks, the agricultural residues (corn stover and corn fiber required significantly lower protein loadings to achieve efficient hydrolysis than did the pretreated woody biomass (poplar, douglas fir and lodgepole pine. Regardless of the substantial differences in the source, structure and chemical composition of the feedstocks, and the difference in the pretreatment technology used, the protein loading required to achieve efficient hydrolysis of lignocellulosic substrates was strongly dependent on the accessibility of the cellulosic component of each of the substrates. We found that cellulose-rich substrates with highly accessible cellulose, as assessed by the Simons' stain method, required a lower protein loading per gram of glucan to obtain efficient hydrolysis compared with substrates containing less accessible cellulose. These results suggest that the rate-limiting step during hydrolysis is not the catalytic

Unconventional biomasses as feedstocks for production of biofuels and succinic acid in a biorefinery concept

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gunnarsson, Ingólfur Bragi

composition of the specific biomass feedstock, as well as which pretreatment, saccharification, fermentation and extraction techniques are used. Furthermore, integrating biological processes into the biorefinery that effectively consume CO2 will become increasingly important. Such process integration could...... significantly improve the sustainability indicators of the overall biorefinery process. In this study, unconventional lignocellulosic- and aquatic biomasses were investigated as biorefinery feedstocks. The studied biomasses were Jerusalem artichoke, industrial hemp and macroalgae species Laminaria digitata....... The chemical composition of biomasses was determined in order to demonstrate their biorefinery potential. Bioethanol and biogas along with succinic acid production were the explored bioconversion routes, while potential production of other compounds was also investigated. Differences and changes in biomass...

Challenges in bioethanol production: Utilization of cotton fabrics as a feedstock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolić Svetlana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Bioethanol, as a clean and renewable fuel with its major environmental benefits, represents a promising biofuel today which is mostly used in combination with gasoline. It can be produced from different kinds of renewable feedstocks. Whereas the first generation of processes (saccharide-based have been well documented and are largely applied, the second and third generation of bioethanol processes (cellulose- or algae-based need further research and development since bioethanol yields are still too low to be economically viable. In this study, the possibilities of bioethanol production from cotton fabrics as valuable cellulosic raw material were investigated and presented. Potential lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol production and their characteristics, especially cotton-based materials, were analyzed. Available lignocellulosic biomass, the production of textile and clothing and potential for sustainable bioethanol production in Serbia is presented. The progress possibilities are discussed in the domain of different pretreatment methods, optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis and different ethanol fermentation process modes. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 31017

Agave: a biofuel feedstock for arid and semi-arid environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, Stephen; Martin, Jeffrey; Simpson, June; Wang, Zhong; Visel, Axel

2011-05-31

Efficient production of plant-based, lignocellulosic biofuels relies upon continued improvement of existing biofuel feedstock species, as well as the introduction of newfeedstocks capable of growing on marginal lands to avoid conflicts with existing food production and minimize use of water and nitrogen resources. To this end, specieswithin the plant genus Agave have recently been proposed as new biofuel feedstocks. Many Agave species are adapted to hot and arid environments generally unsuitable forfood production, yet have biomass productivity rates comparable to other second-generation biofuel feedstocks such as switchgrass and Miscanthus. Agavesachieve remarkable heat tolerance and water use efficiency in part through a Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) mode of photosynthesis, but the genes andregulatory pathways enabling CAM and thermotolerance in agaves remain poorly understood. We seek to accelerate the development of agave as a new biofuelfeedstock through genomic approaches using massively-parallel sequencing technologies. First, we plan to sequence the transcriptome of A. tequilana to provide adatabase of protein-coding genes to the agave research community. Second, we will compare transcriptome-wide gene expression of agaves under different environmentalconditions in order to understand genetic pathways controlling CAM, water use efficiency, and thermotolerance. Finally, we aim to compare the transcriptome of A.tequilana with that of other Agave species to gain further insight into molecular mechanisms underlying traits desirable for biofuel feedstocks. These genomicapproaches will provide sequence and gene expression information critical to the breeding and domestication of Agave species suitable for biofuel production.

Efficient eucalypt cell wall deconstruction and conversion for sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam L. Healey

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In order to meet the world’s growing energy demand and reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil fuel combustion, renewable plant-based feedstocks for biofuel production must be considered. First generation biofuels, derived from starches of edible feedstocks such as corn, creates competition between food and fuel resources, both for the crop itself and the land on which it is grown. As such, biofuel synthesized from non-edible plant biomass (lignocellulose generated on marginal agricultural land, will help to alleviate this competition. Eucalypts, the broadly defined taxa encompassing over 900 species of Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora, are the most widely planted hardwood tree in the world, harvested mainly for timber, pulp and paper, and biomaterial products. More recently, due to their exceptional growth rate and amenability to grow under a wide range of environmental conditions, eucalypts are a leading option for the development of a sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels. However, efficient conversion of woody biomass into fermentable monomeric sugars is largely dependent on pretreatment of the cell wall, whose formation and complexity lends itself towards natural recalcitrance against its efficient deconstruction. A greater understanding of this complexity within the context of various pretreatments will allow the design of new and effective deconstruction processes for bioenergy production. In this review, we present the various pretreatment options for eucalypts, including research into understanding structure and formation of the eucalypt cell wall.

Efficient Eucalypt Cell Wall Deconstruction and Conversion for Sustainable Lignocellulosic Biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Healey, Adam L; Lee, David J; Furtado, Agnelo; Simmons, Blake A; Henry, Robert J

2015-01-01

In order to meet the world's growing energy demand and reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil fuel combustion, renewable plant-based feedstocks for biofuel production must be considered. The first-generation biofuels, derived from starches of edible feedstocks, such as corn, create competition between food and fuel resources, both for the crop itself and the land on which it is grown. As such, biofuel synthesized from non-edible plant biomass (lignocellulose) generated on marginal agricultural land will help to alleviate this competition. Eucalypts, the broadly defined taxa encompassing over 900 species of Eucalyptus, Corymbia, and Angophora are the most widely planted hardwood tree in the world, harvested mainly for timber, pulp and paper, and biomaterial products. More recently, due to their exceptional growth rate and amenability to grow under a wide range of environmental conditions, eucalypts are a leading option for the development of a sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels. However, efficient conversion of woody biomass into fermentable monomeric sugars is largely dependent on pretreatment of the cell wall, whose formation and complexity lend itself toward natural recalcitrance against its efficient deconstruction. A greater understanding of this complexity within the context of various pretreatments will allow the design of new and effective deconstruction processes for bioenergy production. In this review, we present the various pretreatment options for eucalypts, including research into understanding structure and formation of the eucalypt cell wall.

Life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic ethanol: a review of key factors and methods affecting calculated GHG emissions and energy use.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerbrandt, Kelsey; Chu, Pei Lin; Simmonds, Allison; Mullins, Kimberley A; MacLean, Heather L; Griffin, W Michael; Saville, Bradley A

2016-04-01

Lignocellulosic ethanol has potential for lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline and conventional grain-based ethanol. Ethanol production 'pathways' need to meet economic and environmental goals. Numerous life cycle assessments of lignocellulosic ethanol have been published over the last 15 years, but gaps remain in understanding life cycle performance due to insufficient data, and model and methodological issues. We highlight key aspects of these issues, drawing on literature and a case study of corn stover ethanol. Challenges include the complexity of feedstock/ecosystems and market-mediated aspects and the short history of commercial lignocellulosic ethanol facilities, which collectively have led to uncertainty in GHG emissions estimates, and to debates on LCA methods and the role of uncertainty in decision making. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy and Environmental Performance of Bioethanol from Different Lignocelluloses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Luo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Climate change and the wish to reduce the dependence on oil are the incentives for the development of alternative energy sources. The use of lignocellulosic biomass together with cellulosic processing technology provides opportunities to produce fuel ethanol with less competition with food and nature. Many studies on energy analysis and life cycle assessment of second-generation bioethanol have been conducted. However, due to the different methodology used and different system boundary definition, it is difficult to compare their results. To permit a direct comparison of fuel ethanol from different lignocelluloses in terms of energy use and environmental impact, seven studies conducted in our group were summarized in this paper, where the same technologies were used to convert biomass to ethanol, the same system boundaries were defined, and the same allocation procedures were followed. A complete set of environmental impacts ranging from global warming potential to toxicity aspects is used. The results provide an overview on the energy efficiency and environmental performance of using fuel ethanol derived from different feedstocks in comparison with gasoline.

Conversion of Indigenous Agricultural Waste Feedstocks to Fuel Ethanol. Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-13-504

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elander, Richard [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-03-27

This Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) is between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a world leader in biomass conversion research and Ecopetrol American Inc., Ecopetrol S.A.'s U.S. subsidiary. The research and development efforts described in the Joint Work Statement (JWS) will take advantage of the strengths of both parties. NREL will use its Integrated Biorefinery Facility and vast experience in the conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to fuel ethanol to develop processes for the conversion of Ecopetrol's feedstocks. Ecopetrol will establish the infrastructure in Columbia to commercialize the conversion process.

Practicability of Lignocellulosic Waste Composite in Controlling Air Pollution from Leaves Litter through Bioethanol Production

Science.gov (United States)

Tarrsini, Mahadevan; Teoh, Yi Peng; Ng, Qi Hwa; Kunasundari, Balakrishnan; Xian Ooi, Zhong; Siew Shuit, Hoong; Hoo, Peng Yong

2018-03-01

Environmental degradation through greenhouse emission have spurred nation’s interest on feedstock-based fuel. Yet, development of this clean biofuel is obstructed by the expensive feedstock which takes up most of the production cost. Therefore, as an alternative, utilization of widely available lignocellulosic residues with relatively no commercial significance has been considered. This present work emphasizes on mango (Mangifera indica) leaves one of the most abundant lignocellulosic waste in Malaysia. Through implementation of this biomass for bioethanol production, continuous allowance of air pollution with a deleterious impact to the country’s environment could be reduced. The high concentration of sugar (16-18%w/v) in the form of cellulose and hemicellulose is ultimately the reason behind the selection of these leaves as a substrate for bioethanol production. Hence, in this study, a comparison of biomass composition in Harum Manis, Sunshine and Chokanan mango leaves were conducted to detect the most suitable substrate source to produce biofuel. At the end of the biomass evaluation, Harum Manis mango leaves turned out to be the most competitive bioethanol crop as these leaves reported to be made up of 34.71% cellulose and 44.02% hemicellulose which summed up to give highest fermentable sugar source with a lignin content of 19.45%.

Assessment of Bermudagrass and Bunch Grasses as Feedstock for Conversion to Ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, William F.; Dien, Bruce S.; Brandon, Sarah K.; Peterson, Joy Doran

Research is needed to allow more efficient processing of lignocellulose from abundant plant biomass resources for production to fuel ethanol at lower costs. Potential dedicated feedstock species vary in degrees of recalcitrance to ethanol processing. The standard dilute acid hydrolysis pretreatment followed by simultaneous sacharification and fermentation (SSF) was performed on leaf and stem material from three grasses: giant reed (Arundo donax L.), napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.), and bermudagrass (Cynodon spp). In a separate study, napiergrass, and bermudagrass whole samples were pretreated with esterase and cellulose before fermentation. Conversion via SSF was greatest with two bermudagrass cultivars (140 and 122 mg g-1 of biomass) followed by leaves of two napiergrass genotypes (107 and 97 mg g-1) and two giant reed clones (109 and 85 mg g-1). Variability existed among bermudagrass cultivars for conversion to ethanol after esterase and cellulase treatments, with Tifton 85 (289 mg g) and Coastcross II (284 mg g-1) being superior to Coastal (247 mg g-1) and Tifton 44 (245 mg g-1). Results suggest that ethanol yields vary significantly for feedstocks by species and within species and that genetic breeding for improved feedstocks should be possible.

Multi-scale process and supply chain modelling: from lignocellulosic feedstock to process and products.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Seyed Ali; Shah, Nilay

2011-04-06

There is a large body of literature regarding the choice and optimization of different processes for converting feedstock to bioethanol and bio-commodities; moreover, there has been some reasonable technological development in bioconversion methods over the past decade. However, the eventual cost and other important metrics relating to sustainability of biofuel production will be determined not only by the performance of the conversion process, but also by the performance of the entire supply chain from feedstock production to consumption. Moreover, in order to ensure world-class biorefinery performance, both the network and the individual components must be designed appropriately, and allocation of resources over the resulting infrastructure must effectively be performed. The goal of this work is to describe the key challenges in bioenergy supply chain modelling and then to develop a framework and methodology to show how multi-scale modelling can pave the way to answer holistic supply chain questions, such as the prospects for second generation bioenergy crops.

Multi-scale process and supply chain modelling: from lignocellulosic feedstock to process and products

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Seyed Ali; Shah, Nilay

2011-01-01

There is a large body of literature regarding the choice and optimization of different processes for converting feedstock to bioethanol and bio-commodities; moreover, there has been some reasonable technological development in bioconversion methods over the past decade. However, the eventual cost and other important metrics relating to sustainability of biofuel production will be determined not only by the performance of the conversion process, but also by the performance of the entire supply chain from feedstock production to consumption. Moreover, in order to ensure world-class biorefinery performance, both the network and the individual components must be designed appropriately, and allocation of resources over the resulting infrastructure must effectively be performed. The goal of this work is to describe the key challenges in bioenergy supply chain modelling and then to develop a framework and methodology to show how multi-scale modelling can pave the way to answer holistic supply chain questions, such as the prospects for second generation bioenergy crops. PMID:22482032

The potential of lignocellulosic ethanol production in the Mediterranean Basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faraco, Vincenza [Department of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Naples ' ' Federico II' ' , Naples (Italy); School of Biotechnological Sciences, University of Naples ' ' Federico II' ' , Naples (Italy); Hadar, Yitzhak [Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot (Israel)

2011-01-15

This review provides an overview of the potential of bioethanol fuel production from lignocellulosic residues in the Mediterranean Basin. Residues from cereal crops, olive trees, and tomato and grape processing are abundant lignocellulosic wastes in France, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Egypt, where their use as raw materials for ethanol production could give rise to a potential production capacity of 13 Mtoe of ethanol. Due to the lack of sufficient amounts of agricultural residues in all of the other Mediterranean countries, use of the cellulosic content of municipal solid waste (MSW) as feedstock for ethanol fuel production is also proposed. A maximum potential production capacity of 30 Mtoe of ethanol could be achieved from 50% of the 180 million tons of waste currently produced annually in the Mediterranean Basin, the management of which has become a subject of serious concern. However, to make large-scale ethanol production from agricultural residues and MSW a medium-term feasible goal in the Mediterranean Basin, huge efforts are needed to achieve the required progress in cellulose ethanol technologies and to overcome several foreseeable constraints. (author)

Screening of lactic acid bacteria for their potential as microbial cell factories for bioconversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boguta, Anna Monika; Bringel, Francoise; Martinussen, Jan

2014-01-01

Background: The use of fossil carbon sources for fuels and petrochemicals has serious impacts on our environment and is unable to meet the demand in the future. A promising and sustainable alternative is to substitute fossil carbon sources with microbial cell factories converting lignocellulosic ...

Engineering of plants with improved properties as biofuels feedstocks by vessel-specific complementation of xylan biosynthesis mutants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Pia; Lau, Jane; Ebert, Berit

2012-01-01

Background: Cost-efficient generation of second-generation biofuels requires plant biomass that can easily be degraded into sugars and further fermented into fuels. However, lignocellulosic biomass is inherently recalcitrant toward deconstruction technologies due to the abundant lignin and cross......-linked hemicelluloses. Furthermore, lignocellulosic biomass has a high content of pentoses, which are more difficult to ferment into fuels than hexoses. Engineered plants with decreased amounts of xylan in their secondary walls have the potential to render plant biomass a more desirable feedstock for biofuel production...... in the xylem vessels is sufficient to complement the irx phenotype of xylan deficient mutants, while maintaining low overall amounts of xylan and lignin in the cell wall. This engineering approach has the potential to yield bioenergy crop plants that are more easily deconstructed and fermented into biofuels....

Valorization of guayule as a feedstock for lignocellulosic biorefineries using ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Natural rubber latex extraction from guayule leaves behind greater than 80% (by weight) of agricultural residue as a feedstock suitable for conversion to biofuels via a thermochemical or biochemical route. Untreated guayule shrub and bagasse (after latex extraction) has shown to be very recalcitrant...

Value-added Chemicals from Biomass by Heterogeneous Catalysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voss, Bodil

feedstock, having retained one C-C bond originating from the biomass precursor, the aspects of utilising heterogeneous catalysis for its conversion to value added chemicals is investigated. Through a simple analysis of known, but not industrialised catalytic routes, the direct conversion of ethanol....... The results of the thesis, taking one example of biomass conversion, show that the utilisation of biomass in the production of chemicals by heterogeneous catalysis is promising from a technical point of view. But risks of market price excursions dominated by fossil based chemicals further set a criterion...... been implemented. The subject on chemical production has received less attention. This thesis describes and evaluates the quest for an alternative conversion route, based on a biomass feedstock and employing a heterogeneous catalyst capable of converting the feedstock, to a value-added chemical...

Consolidated briefing of biochemical ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spyridon Achinas

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Bioethanol production is one pathway for crude oil reduction and environmental compliance. Bioethanol can be used as fuel with significant characteristics like high octane number, low cetane number and high heat of vaporization. Its main drawbacks are the corrosiveness, low flame luminosity, lower vapor pressure, miscibility with water, and toxicity to ecosystems. One crucial problem with bioethanol fuel is the availability of raw materials. The supply of feedstocks for bioethanol production can vary season to season and depends on geographic locations. Lignocellulosic biomass, such as forest-based woody materials, agricultural residues and municipal waste, is prominent feedstock for bioethanol cause of its high availability and low cost, even though the commercial production has still not been established. In addition, the supply and the attentive use of microbes render the bioethanol production process highly peculiar. Many conversion technologies and techniques for biomass-based ethanol production are under development and expected to be demonstrated. In this work a technological analysis of the biochemical method that can be used to produce bioethanol is carried out and a review of current trends and issues is conducted.

Lignocellulosic ethanol: Technology design and its impact on process efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulova, Leona; Patakova, Petra; Branska, Barbora; Rychtera, Mojmir; Melzoch, Karel

2015-11-01

This review provides current information on the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, with the main focus on relationships between process design and efficiency, expressed as ethanol concentration, yield and productivity. In spite of unquestionable advantages of lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for ethanol production (availability, price, non-competitiveness with food, waste material), many technological bottlenecks hinder its wide industrial application and competitiveness with 1st generation ethanol production. Among the main technological challenges are the recalcitrant structure of the material, and thus the need for extensive pretreatment (usually physico-chemical followed by enzymatic hydrolysis) to yield fermentable sugars, and a relatively low concentration of monosaccharides in the medium that hinder the achievement of ethanol concentrations comparable with those obtained using 1st generation feedstocks (e.g. corn or molasses). The presence of both pentose and hexose sugars in the fermentation broth, the price of cellulolytic enzymes, and the presence of toxic compounds that can inhibit cellulolytic enzymes and microbial producers of ethanol are major issues. In this review, different process configurations of the main technological steps (enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation of hexose/and or pentose sugars) are discussed and their efficiencies are compared. The main features, benefits and drawbacks of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with delayed inoculation (dSSF), consolidated bioprocesses (CBP) combining production of cellulolytic enzymes, hydrolysis of biomass and fermentation into one step, together with an approach combining utilization of both pentose and hexose sugars are discussed and compared with separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) processes. The impact of individual technological steps on final process efficiency is emphasized and the potential for use

Feasibility Study for Co-Locating and Integrating Ethanol Production Plants from Corn Starch and Lignocellulosic Feedstocks (Revised)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallace, R.; Ibsen, K.; McAloon, A.; Yee, W.

2005-01-01

Analysis of the feasibility of co-locating corn-grain-to-ethanol and lignocellulosic ethanol plants and potential savings from combining utilities, ethanol purification, product processing, and fermentation. Although none of the scenarios identified could produce ethanol at lower cost than a straight grain ethanol plant, several were lower cost than a straight cellulosic ethanol plant.

Energy consumption analysis of integrated flowsheets for production of fuel ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardona Alzate, C.A.; Sanchez Toro, O.J.

2006-01-01

Fuel ethanol is considered one of the most important renewable fuels due to the economic and environmental benefits of its use. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most promising feedstock for producing bioethanol due to its global availability and to the energy gain that can be obtained when non-fermentable materials from biomass are used for cogeneration of heat and power. In this work, several process configurations for fuel ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass were studied through process simulation using Aspen Plus. Some flowsheets considering the possibilities of reaction-reaction integration were taken into account among the studied process routes. The flowsheet variants were analyzed from the energy point of view utilizing as comparison criterion the energy consumption needed to produce 1 L of anhydrous ethanol. Simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation process with water recycling showed the best results accounting an energy consumption of 41.96 MJ/L EtOH. If pervaporation is used as dehydration method instead of azeotropic distillation, further energy savings can be obtained. In addition, energy balance was estimated using the results from the simulation and literature data. A net energy value of 17.65-18.93 MJ/L EtOH was calculated indicating the energy efficiency of the lignocellulosic ethanol

Energy consumption analysis of integrated flowsheets for production of fuel ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cardona Alzate, C.A. [Department of Chemical Engineering, National University of Colombia at Manizales, Cra. 27 No. 64-60, Manizales (Colombia)]. E-mail: ccardonaal@unal.edu.co; Sanchez Toro, O.J. [Department of Chemical Engineering, National University of Colombia at Manizales, Cra. 27 No. 64-60, Manizales (Colombia); Department of Engineering, University of Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales (Colombia)

2006-10-15

Fuel ethanol is considered one of the most important renewable fuels due to the economic and environmental benefits of its use. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most promising feedstock for producing bioethanol due to its global availability and to the energy gain that can be obtained when non-fermentable materials from biomass are used for cogeneration of heat and power. In this work, several process configurations for fuel ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass were studied through process simulation using Aspen Plus. Some flowsheets considering the possibilities of reaction-reaction integration were taken into account among the studied process routes. The flowsheet variants were analyzed from the energy point of view utilizing as comparison criterion the energy consumption needed to produce 1 L of anhydrous ethanol. Simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation process with water recycling showed the best results accounting an energy consumption of 41.96 MJ/L EtOH. If pervaporation is used as dehydration method instead of azeotropic distillation, further energy savings can be obtained. In addition, energy balance was estimated using the results from the simulation and literature data. A net energy value of 17.65-18.93 MJ/L EtOH was calculated indicating the energy efficiency of the lignocellulosic ethanol.

Extrusion Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Zheng

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol has shown environmental, economic and energetic advantages in comparison to bioethanol produced from sugar or starch. However, the pretreatment process for increasing the enzymatic accessibility and improving the digestibility of cellulose is hindered by many physical-chemical, structural and compositional factors, which make these materials difficult to be used as feedstocks for ethanol production. A wide range of pretreatment methods has been developed to alter or remove structural and compositional impediments to (enzymatic hydrolysis over the last few decades; however, only a few of them can be used at commercial scale due to economic feasibility. This paper will give an overview of extrusion pretreatment for bioethanol production with a special focus on twin-screw extruders. An economic assessment of this pretreatment is also discussed to determine its feasibility for future industrial cellulosic ethanol plant designs.

Method for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzhiyil, Najeeb M.; Brown, Robert C.; Dalluge, Dustin Lee

2015-08-18

The present invention relates to a method for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass containing alkali and/or alkaline earth metal (AAEM). The method comprises providing a lignocellulosic biomass containing AAEM; determining the amount of the AAEM present in the lignocellulosic biomass; identifying, based on said determining, the amount of a mineral acid sufficient to completely convert the AAEM in the lignocellulosic biomass to thermally-stable, catalytically-inert salts; and treating the lignocellulosic biomass with the identified amount of the mineral acid, wherein the treated lignocellulosic biomass contains thermally-stable, catalytically inert AAEM salts.

Economically viable production of biodiesel from a rural feedstock from eastern India, P. pinnata oil using a recyclable laboratory synthesized heterogeneous catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Veena; Hameed, Bassim H.; Sharma, Yogesh Chandra

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Barium zirconate was synthesized by co-precipitation method using nitrates of barium and zirconia and was applied for biodiesel production using karanja oil as feedstock through transesterification reaction. - Highlights: • Barium zirconate have been used as a heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production. • Effect of calcination time on stability of catalyst was studied. • 98.79 ± 0.5% of FAME conversion from karanja oil was attained. • Catalyst is stable and can be reused up to nine cycles with conversion up to >65%. • Glycerol obtained as a byproduct was easily purified for better use. - Abstract: Barium zirconate was synthesized by co-precipitation method and its feasibility as a heterogeneous catalyst for production of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) was assessed. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was synthesized through transesterification of karanja oil with methanol. Synthesized barium zirconate was characterized by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Specific surface area and basicity of the catalyst were also deliberated. Catalyst characterization indicated formation of single phase of barium zirconate which was capable of catalyzing the transesterification of esterified karanja oil with methanol. Feedstock was characterized by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). Reaction conditions such as molar ratio (oil:methanol), catalyst concentration, temperature, time, stirring speed and catalyst reusability were optimized. Calcination temperature and time significantly affected the catalytic activity of the catalyst because of variation in availability of basic sites. FAME conversion of 98.79 ± 0.5% was obtained at catalyst concentration of 1.0 wt%, 1:27 M ratio (oil:methanol), 65 °C for a 3 h contact time. The catalyst could be

Conversion of industrial (ligno)cellulose feeds to isosorbide with heteropoly acids and Ru on carbon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Op de Beeck, B.; Van Lishout, J.; Jacobs, P.A.; Sels, B.F. [Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Heverlee (Belgium); Geboers, J. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Muelheim an der Ruhr (Germany); Van de Vyver, S. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, Massachusetts Avenue 77, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States); Snelders, J.; Courtin, C.M. [Centre for Food and Microbial Technology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 22, 3001 Heverlee (Belgium); Huijgen, W.J.J. [Biomass and Energy Efficiency BEE, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE Petten (Netherlands)

2013-01-11

The catalytic valorization of cellulose is currently subject of intense research. Isosorbide is among the most interesting products that can be formed from cellulose as it is a potential platform molecule and can be used for the synthesis of a wide range of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and polymers. A promising direct route from cellulose to isosorbide is presented in this work. The strategy relies on a one-pot bifunctional catalytic concept, combining heteropoly acids, viz. H4SiW12O40, and redox catalysts, viz. commercial Ru on carbon, under H2 pressure. Starting from pure microcrystalline cellulose, a rapid conversion was observed, resulting in over 50% isosorbide yield. The robustness of the developed system is evidenced by the conversion of a range of impure cellulose pulps obtained by organosolv fractionation, with isosorbide yields up to 63%. Results were compared with other (ligno)cellulose feedstocks, highlighting the importance of fractionation and purification to increase reactivity and convertibility of the cellulose feedstock.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production: Biochemical Versus Thermochemical Conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Dongyan; Seager, Thomas; Rao, P. Suresh; Zhao, Fu

2010-10-01

Lignocellulosic biomass can be converted into ethanol through either biochemical or thermochemical conversion processes. Biochemical conversion involves hydrolysis and fermentation while thermochemical conversion involves gasification and catalytic synthesis. Even though these routes produce comparable amounts of ethanol and have similar energy efficiency at the plant level, little is known about their relative environmental performance from a life cycle perspective. Especially, the indirect impacts, i.e. emissions and resource consumption associated with the production of various process inputs, are largely neglected in previous studies. This article compiles material and energy flow data from process simulation models to develop life cycle inventory and compares the fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption of both biomass-to-ethanol production processes. The results are presented in terms of contributions from feedstock, direct, indirect, and co-product credits for four representative biomass feedstocks i.e., wood chips, corn stover, waste paper, and wheat straw. To explore the potentials of the two conversion pathways, different technological scenarios are modeled, including current, 2012 and 2020 technology targets, as well as different production/co-production configurations. The modeling results suggest that biochemical conversion has slightly better performance on greenhouse gas emission and fossil fuel consumption, but that thermochemical conversion has significantly less direct, indirect, and life cycle water consumption. Also, if the thermochemical plant operates as a biorefinery with mixed alcohol co-products separated for chemicals, it has the potential to achieve better performance than biochemical pathway across all environmental impact categories considered due to higher co-product credits associated with chemicals being displaced. The results from this work serve as a starting point for developing full life cycle

Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol Process Design and Economics Utilizing Co-Current Dilute Acid Prehydrolysis and Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Corn Stover

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aden, A.; Ruth, M.; Ibsen, K.; Jechura, J.; Neeves, K.; Sheehan, J.; Wallace, B.; Montague, L.; Slayton, A.; Lukas, J.

2002-06-01

This report is an update of NREL's ongoing process design and economic analyses of processes related to developing ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is promoting the development of ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks as an alternative to conventional petroleum-based transportation fuels. DOE funds both fundamental and applied research in this area and needs a method for predicting cost benefits of many research proposals. To that end, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has modeled many potential process designs and estimated the economics of each process during the last 20 years. This report is an update of the ongoing process design and economic analyses at NREL. We envision updating this process design report at regular intervals; the purpose being to ensure that the process design incorporates all new data from NREL research, DOE funded research and other sources, and that the equipment costs are reasonable and consistent with good engineering practice for plants of this type. For the non-research areas this means using equipment and process approaches as they are currently used in industrial applications. For the last report, published in 1999, NREL performed a complete review and update of the process design and economic model for the biomass-to-ethanol process utilizing co-current dilute acid prehydrolysis with simultaneous saccharification (enzymatic) and co-fermentation. The process design included the core technologies being researched by the DOE: prehydrolysis, simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation, and cellulase enzyme production. In addition, all ancillary areas--feed handling, product recovery and purification, wastewater treatment (WWT), lignin combustor and boiler-turbogenerator, and utilities--were included. NREL engaged Delta-T Corporation (Delta-T) to assist in the process design evaluation, the process equipment costing, and overall plant integration. The process design

Efficient hydrogen production from the lignocellulosic energy crop Miscanthus by the extreme thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermotoga neapolitana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Vrije Truus

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The production of hydrogen from biomass by fermentation is one of the routes that can contribute to a future sustainable hydrogen economy. Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive feedstock because of its abundance, low production costs and high polysaccharide content. Results Batch cultures of Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermotoga neapolitana produced hydrogen, carbon dioxide and acetic acid as the main products from soluble saccharides in Miscanthus hydrolysate. The presence of fermentation inhibitors, such as furfural and 5-hydroxylmethyl furfural, in this lignocellulosic hydrolysate was avoided by the mild alkaline-pretreatment conditions at a low temperature of 75°C. Both microorganisms simultaneously and completely utilized all pentoses, hexoses and oligomeric saccharides up to a total concentration of 17 g l-1 in pH-controlled batch cultures. T. neapolitana showed a preference for glucose over xylose, which are the main sugars in the hydrolysate. Hydrogen yields of 2.9 to 3.4 mol H2 per mol of hexose, corresponding to 74 to 85% of the theoretical yield, were obtained in these batch fermentations. The yields were higher with cultures of C. saccharolyticus compared to T. neapolitana. In contrast, the rate of substrate consumption and hydrogen production was higher with T. neapolitana. At substrate concentrations exceeding 30 g l-1, sugar consumption was incomplete, and lower hydrogen yields of 2.0 to 2.4 mol per mol of consumed hexose were obtained. Conclusion Efficient hydrogen production in combination with simultaneous and complete utilization of all saccharides has been obtained during the growth of thermophilic bacteria on hydrolysate of the lignocellulosic feedstock Miscanthus. The use of thermophilic bacteria will therefore significantly contribute to the energy efficiency of a bioprocess for hydrogen production from biomass.

Potential of feedstock and catalysts from waste in biodiesel preparation: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurfitri, Irma; Maniam, Gaanty Pragas; Hindryawati, Noor; Yusoff, Mashitah M.; Ganesan, Shangeetha

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Oils/lipids from waste sources are the suitable candidates for transesterification. • Catalyst derived from waste materials proven its role in transesterification. • The use of materials from waste should be intensify for sustainability. - Abstract: For many years, the cost of production has been the main barrier in commercializing biodiesel, globally. It has been well researched and established in the literature that the cost of feedstock is the major contributor. Biodiesel producers are forced to choose between edible and non-edible feedstock. The use of edible feedstock sparks concern in terms of food security while the inedible feedstock needs additional pretreatment steps. On the other hand, the wide availability of edible feedstock guarantees the supply while the choice of non-edible results in a non-continuous or non-ready supply. With these complications in mind, this review attempts to identify possible solutions by exploring the potential of waste edible oils and waste catalysts in biodiesel preparation. Since edible oils are available and used abundantly, waste or used edible oils have the potential to provide plentiful feedstock for biodiesel. In addition, since traditional homogeneous catalysts are less competent in transesterifying waste/used oils, this review includes the possibility of heterogeneous catalysts from waste sources that are able to aid the transesterification reaction with success

Torrefaction reduction of coke formation on catalysts used in esterification and cracking of biofuels from pyrolysed lignocellulosic feedstocks

Science.gov (United States)

Kastner, James R; Mani, Sudhagar; Hilten, Roger; Das, Keshav C

2015-11-04

A bio-oil production process involving torrefaction pretreatment, catalytic esterification, pyrolysis, and secondary catalytic processing significantly reduces yields of reactor char, catalyst coke, and catalyst tar relative to the best-case conditions using non-torrefied feedstock. The reduction in coke as a result of torrefaction was 28.5% relative to the respective control for slow pyrolysis bio-oil upgrading. In fast pyrolysis bio-oil processing, the greatest reduction in coke was 34.9%. Torrefaction at 275.degree. C. reduced levels of acid products including acetic acid and formic acid in the bio-oil, which reduced catalyst coking and increased catalyst effectiveness and aromatic hydrocarbon yields in the upgraded oils. The process of bio-oil generation further comprises a catalytic esterification of acids and aldehydes to generate such as ethyl levulinate from lignified biomass feedstock.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Bioethanol Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass in China: Dilute-Acid Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Corn Stover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Zhao

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Lignocellulosic biomass-based ethanol is categorized as 2nd generation bioethanol in the advanced biofuel portfolio. To make sound incentive policy proposals for the Chinese government and to develop guidance for research and development and industrialization of the technology, the paper reports careful techno-economic and sensitivity analyses performed to estimate the current competitiveness of the bioethanol and identify key components which have the greatest impact on its plant-gate price (PGP. Two models were developed for the research, including the Bioethanol PGP Assessment Model (BPAM and the Feedstock Cost Estimation Model (FCEM. Results show that the PGP of the bioethanol ranges $4.68–$6.05/gal (9,550–12,356 yuan/t. The key components that contribute most to bioethanol PGP include the conversion rate of cellulose to glucose, the ratio of five-carbon sugars converted to ethanol, feedstock cost, and enzyme loading, etc. Lignocellulosic ethanol is currently unable to compete with fossil gasoline, therefore incentive policies are necessary to promote its development. It is suggested that the consumption tax be exempted, the value added tax (VAT be refunded upon collection, and feed-in tariff for excess electricity (byproduct be implemented to facilitate the industrialization of the technology. A minimum direct subsidy of $1.20/gal EtOH (2,500 yuan/t EtOH is also proposed for consideration.

Uncertainties in Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Advanced Biomass Feedstock Logistics Supply Chains in Kansas

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Long Nguyen

2014-11-01

Full Text Available To meet Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA cellulosic biofuel mandates, the United States will require an annual domestic supply of about 242 million Mg of biomass by 2022. To improve the feedstock logistics of lignocellulosic biofuels in order to access available biomass resources from areas with varying yields, commodity systems have been proposed and designed to deliver quality-controlled biomass feedstocks at preprocessing “depots”. Preprocessing depots densify and stabilize the biomass prior to long-distance transport and delivery to centralized biorefineries. The logistics of biomass commodity supply chains could introduce spatially variable environmental impacts into the biofuel life cycle due to needing to harvest, move, and preprocess biomass from multiple distances that have variable spatial density. This study examines the uncertainty in greenhouse gas (GHG emissions of corn stover logistics within a bio-ethanol supply chain in the state of Kansas, where sustainable biomass supply varies spatially. Two scenarios were evaluated each having a different number of depots of varying capacity and location within Kansas relative to a central commodity-receiving biorefinery to test GHG emissions uncertainty. The first scenario sited four preprocessing depots evenly across the state of Kansas but within the vicinity of counties having high biomass supply density. The second scenario located five depots based on the shortest depot-to-biorefinery rail distance and biomass availability. The logistics supply chain consists of corn stover harvest, collection and storage, feedstock transport from field to biomass preprocessing depot, preprocessing depot operations, and commodity transport from the biomass preprocessing depot to the biorefinery. Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the spatial uncertainty in the feedstock logistics gate-to-gate sequence. Within the logistics supply chain GHG emissions are most sensitive to the

Dairy Manure as a Potential Feedstock for Cost-Effective Cellulosic Bioethanol

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Qiang Yang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigated sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocelluloses (SPORL pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic digestibility of undigested dairy manure to preliminarily assess its potential use as an inexpensive feedstock for cellulosic bioethanol production. The sulfite pretreatment was carried out in a factorial analysis using 163 to 197 °C for 3 to 37 min with 0.8% to 4.2% sulfuric acid combined with 2.6% to 9.4% sodium sulfite. These treatments were compared with other standard pretreatments of dilute acid, and hot and cold alkali pretreatments. This comparative study showed that the sulfite pretreatment, through its combined effects of hemicellulose and lignin removal and lignin sulfonation, is more effective than the diluted acid and alkali pretreatments to improve the enzymatic digestibility of dairy manure.

Biochemical Conversion Processes of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Fuels and Chemicals - A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Brethauer, Simone; Studer, Michael H

2015-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass - such as wood, agricultural residues or dedicated energy crops - is a promising renewable feedstock for production of fuels and chemicals that is available at large scale at low cost without direct competition for food usage. Its biochemical conversion in a sugar platform biorefinery includes three main unit operations that are illustrated in this review: the physico-chemical pretreatment of the biomass, the enzymatic hydrolysis of the carbohydrates to a fermentable sugar stream by cellulases and finally the fermentation of the sugars by suitable microorganisms to the target molecules. Special emphasis in this review is put on the technology, commercial status and future prospects of the production of second-generation fuel ethanol, as this process has received most research and development efforts so far. Despite significant advances, high enzyme costs are still a hurdle for large scale competitive lignocellulosic ethanol production. This could be overcome by a strategy termed 'consolidated bioprocessing' (CBP), where enzyme production, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation is integrated in one step - either by utilizing one genetically engineered superior microorganism or by creating an artificial co-culture. Insight is provided on both CBP strategies for the production of ethanol as well as of advanced fuels and commodity chemicals.

Ethanol production process from banana fruit and its lignocellulosic residues: Energy analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velasquez-Arredondo, H.I. [Grupo de Investigacion Bioprocesos y Flujos Reactivos, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellin, Calle 59 A N 63-20 (Colombia); Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Avenida Professor Mello Moraes 2231 (Brazil); Ruiz-Colorado, A.A. [Grupo de Investigacion Bioprocesos y Flujos Reactivos, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellin, Calle 59 A N 63-20 (Colombia); De Oliveira, S. Jr. [Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, Escola Politecnica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Avenida Professor Mello Moraes 2231 (Brazil)

2010-07-15

Tropical countries, such as Brazil and Colombia, have the possibility of using agricultural lands for growing biomass to produce bio-fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol. This study applies an energy analysis to the production process of anhydrous ethanol obtained from the hydrolysis of starch and cellulosic and hemicellulosic material present in the banana fruit and its residual biomass. Four different production routes were analyzed: acid hydrolysis of amylaceous material (banana pulp and banana fruit) and enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material (flower stalk and banana skin). The analysis considered banana plant cultivation, feedstock transport, hydrolysis, fermentation, distillation, dehydration, residue treatment and utility plant. The best indexes were obtained for amylaceous material for which mass performance varied from 346.5 L/t to 388.7 L/t, Net Energy Value (NEV) ranged from 9.86 MJ/L to 9.94 MJ/L and the energy ratio was 1.9 MJ/MJ. For lignocellulosic materials, the figures were less favorable; mass performance varied from 86.1 to 123.5 L/t, NEV from 5.24 to 8.79 MJ/L and energy ratio from 1.3 to 1.6 MJ/MJ. The analysis showed, however, that both processes can be considered energetically feasible. (author)

Techno-economic comparison of biojet fuel production from lignocellulose, vegetable oil and sugar cane juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Diederichs, Gabriel Wilhelm; Ali Mandegari, Mohsen; Farzad, Somayeh; Görgens, Johann F

2016-09-01

In this study, a techno-economic comparison was performed considering three processes (thermochemical, biochemical and hybrid) for production of jet fuel from lignocellulosic biomass (2G) versus two processes from first generation (1G) feedstocks, including vegetable oil and sugar cane juice. Mass and energy balances were constructed for energy self-sufficient versions of these processes, not utilising any fossil energy sources, using ASPEN Plus® simulations. All of the investigated processes obtained base minimum jet selling prices (MJSP) that is substantially higher than the market jet fuel price (2-4 fold). The 1G process which converts vegetable oil, obtained the lowest MJSPs of $2.22/kg jet fuel while the two most promising 2G processes- the thermochemical (gasification and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) and hybrid (gasification and biochemical upgrading) processes- reached MJSPs of $2.44/kg and $2.50/kg jet fuel, respectively. According to the economic sensitivity analysis, the feedstock cost and fixed capital investment have the most influence on the MJSP. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biodelignification of lignocellulose substrates: An intrinsic and sustainable pretreatment strategy for clean energy production.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandel, Anuj K; Gonçalves, Bruna C M; Strap, Janice L; da Silva, Silvio S

2015-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is a promising sugar feedstock for biofuels and other high-value chemical commodities. The recalcitrance of LB, however, impedes carbohydrate accessibility and its conversion into commercially significant products. Two important factors for the overall economization of biofuel production is LB pretreatment to liberate fermentable sugars followed by conversion into ethanol. Sustainable biofuel production must overcome issues such as minimizing water and energy usage, reducing chemical usage and process intensification. Amongst available pretreatment methods, microorganism-mediated pretreatments are the safest, green, and sustainable. Native biodelignifying agents such as Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pycnoporous cinnabarinus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and Cyathus stercoreus can remove lignin, making the remaining substrates amenable for saccharification. The development of a robust, integrated bioprocessing (IBP) approach for economic ethanol production would incorporate all essential steps including pretreatment, cellulase production, enzyme hydrolysis and fermentation of the released sugars into ethanol. IBP represents an inexpensive, environmentally friendly, low energy and low capital approach for second-generation ethanol production. This paper reviews the advancements in microbial-assisted pretreatment for the delignification of lignocellulosic substrates, system metabolic engineering for biorefineries and highlights the possibilities of process integration for sustainable and economic ethanol production.

Covalent immobilization of β-glucosidase on magnetic particles for lignocellulose hydrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Alftrén, Johan; Hobley, Timothy John

2013-04-01

β-Glucosidase hydrolyzes cellobiose to glucose and is an important enzyme in the consortium used for hydrolysis of cellulosic and lignocellulosic feedstocks. In the present work, β-glucosidase was covalently immobilized on non-porous magnetic particles to enable re-use of the enzyme. It was found that particles activated with cyanuric chloride and polyglutaraldehyde gave the highest bead-related immobilized enzyme activity when tested with p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (104.7 and 82.2 U/g particles, respectively). Furthermore, the purified β-glucosidase preparation from Megazyme gave higher bead-related enzyme activities compared to Novozym 188 (79.0 and 9.8 U/g particles, respectively). A significant improvement in thermal stability was observed for immobilized enzyme compared to free enzyme; after 5 h (at 65 °C), 36 % of activity remained for the former, while there was no activity in the latter. The performance and recyclability of immobilized β-glucosidase on more complex substrate (pretreated spruce) was also studied. It was shown that adding immobilized β-glucosidase (16 U/g dry matter) to free cellulases (8 FPU/g dry matter) increased the hydrolysis yield of pretreated spruce from ca. 44 % to ca. 65 %. In addition, it was possible to re-use the immobilized β-glucosidase in the spruce and retain activity for at least four cycles. The immobilized enzyme thus shows promise for lignocellulose hydrolysis.

Integrative analysis and expression profiling of secondary cell wall genes in C4 biofuel model Setaria italica reveals targets for lignocellulose bioengineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehanathan eMuthamilarasan

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Several underutilized grasses have excellent potential for use as bioenergy feedstock due to their lignocellulosic biomass. Genomic tools have enabled identification of lignocellulose biosynthesis genes in several sequenced plants. However, the non-availability of whole genome sequence of bioenergy grasses hinders the study on bioenergy genomics and their genomics-assisted crop improvement. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.; Si is a model crop for studying systems biology of bioenergy grasses. In the present study, a systematic approach has been used for identification of gene families involved in cellulose (CesA/Csl, callose (Gsl and monolignol biosynthesis (PAL, C4H, 4CL, HCT, C3H, CCoAOMT, F5H, COMT, CCR, CAD and construction of physical map of foxtail millet. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis of identified proteins showed that monolignol biosynthesis proteins were highly diverse, whereas CesA/Csl and Gsl proteins were homologous to rice and Arabidopsis. Comparative mapping of foxtail millet lignocellulose biosynthesis genes with other C4 panicoid genomes revealed maximum homology with switchgrass, followed by sorghum and maize. Expression profiling of candidate lignocellulose genes in response to different abiotic stresses and hormone treatments showed their differential expression pattern, with significant higher expression of SiGsl12, SiPAL2, SiHCT1, SiF5H2 and SiCAD6 genes. Further, due to the evolutionary conservation of grass genomes, the insights gained from the present study could be extrapolated for identifying genes involved in lignocellulose biosynthesis in other biofuel species for further characterization.

Integrative analysis and expression profiling of secondary cell wall genes in C4 biofuel model Setaria italica reveals targets for lignocellulose bioengineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Khan, Yusuf; Jaishankar, Jananee; Shweta, Shweta; Lata, Charu; Prasad, Manoj

2015-01-01

Several underutilized grasses have excellent potential for use as bioenergy feedstock due to their lignocellulosic biomass. Genomic tools have enabled identification of lignocellulose biosynthesis genes in several sequenced plants. However, the non-availability of whole genome sequence of bioenergy grasses hinders the study on bioenergy genomics and their genomics-assisted crop improvement. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.; Si) is a model crop for studying systems biology of bioenergy grasses. In the present study, a systematic approach has been used for identification of gene families involved in cellulose (CesA/Csl), callose (Gsl) and monolignol biosynthesis (PAL, C4H, 4CL, HCT, C3H, CCoAOMT, F5H, COMT, CCR, CAD) and construction of physical map of foxtail millet. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis of identified proteins showed that monolignol biosynthesis proteins were highly diverse, whereas CesA/Csl and Gsl proteins were homologous to rice and Arabidopsis. Comparative mapping of foxtail millet lignocellulose biosynthesis genes with other C4 panicoid genomes revealed maximum homology with switchgrass, followed by sorghum and maize. Expression profiling of candidate lignocellulose genes in response to different abiotic stresses and hormone treatments showed their differential expression pattern, with significant higher expression of SiGsl12, SiPAL2, SiHCT1, SiF5H2, and SiCAD6 genes. Further, due to the evolutionary conservation of grass genomes, the insights gained from the present study could be extrapolated for identifying genes involved in lignocellulose biosynthesis in other biofuel species for further characterization.

Beneficial synergistic effect on bio-oil production from co-liquefaction of sewage sludge and lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Leng, Lijian; Li, Jun; Yuan, Xingzhong; Li, Jingjing; Han, Pei; Hong, Yuchun; Wei, Feng; Zhou, Wenguang

2018-03-01

Co-liquefaction of municipal sewage sludge (MSS) and lignocellulosic biomass such as rice straw or wood sawdust at different mixing ratios and the characterization of the obtained bio-oil and bio-char were investigated. Synergistic effects were found during co-processing of MSS with biomass for production of bio-oil with higher yield and better fuel properties than those from individual feedstock. The co-liquefaction of MSS/rice straw (4/4, wt) increased the bio-oil yield from 22.74% (bio-oil yield from liquefaction of MSS individually) or 23.67% (rice straw) to 32.45%. Comparable increase on bio-oil yield was also observed for MSS/wood sawdust mixtures (2/6, wt). The bio-oils produced from MSS/biomass mixtures were mainly composed of esters and phenols with lower boiling points (degradation temperatures) than those from individual feedstock (identified with higher heavy bio-oil fractions). These synergistic effects were probably resulted from the interactions between the intermittent products of MSS and those of biomass during processing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bacterial synergism in lignocellulose biomass degradation : Complementary roles of degraders as influenced by complexity of the carbon source

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cortes Tolalpa, Larisa; Falcao Salles, Joana; van Elsas, Jan

2017-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is an attractive source of carbon for the production of sugars and other chemicals. Due to its inherent complexity and heterogeneity, efficient biodegradation requires the actions of different types of hydrolytic enzymes. In nature, complex microbial communities that

Utilization of Ionic Liquids in Lignocellulose Biorefineries as Agents for Separation, Derivatization, Fractionation, or Pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Peleteiro, Susana; Rivas, Sandra; Alonso, José L; Santos, Valentín; Parajó, Juan C

2015-09-23

Ionic liquids (ILs) can play multiple roles in lignocellulose biorefineries, including utilization as agents for the separation of selected compounds or as reaction media for processing lignocellulosic materials (LCM). Imidazolium-based ILs have been proposed for separating target components from LCM biorefinery streams, for example, the dehydration of ethanol-water mixtures or the extractive separation of biofuels (ethanol, butanol) or lactic acid from the respective fermentation broths. As in other industries, ILs are potentially suitable for removing volatile organic compounds or carbon dioxide from gaseous biorefinery effluents. On the other hand, cellulose dissolution in ILs allows homogeneous derivatization reactions to be carried out, opening new ways for product design or for improving the quality of the products. Imidazolium-based ILs are also suitable for processing native LCM, allowing the integral benefit of the feedstocks via separation of polysaccharides and lignin. Even strongly lignified materials can yield cellulose-enriched substrates highly susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis upon ILs processing. Recent developments in enzymatic hydrolysis include the identification of ILs causing limited enzyme inhibition and the utilization of enzymes with improved performance in the presence of ILs.

Bioethanol production from residual lignocellulosic materials: A review – Part 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CRISTIAN-TEODOR BURUIANA

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Lignocellulosic material (LCM can be employed as feedstock for biorefineries, a concept related to industries designed to process biomass for producing chemicals, fuels and/or electrical power. According to this philosophy, LCM can be fractionated and the resulting fractions employed for specific applications. Bioethanol production from cellulosic fraction of LCM involves: hydrolysis of polysaccharides and fermentation of the monomers into bioethanol. Enzymatic hydrolysis is catalyzed by cellulolytic enzymes and fermentation is carried out by bacteria, yeasts or fungi. The main objective of this article is to review different process integration technologies for bioethanol production from LCM. This paper include: separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF, and simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF methods. Furthermore, the fermentation process and a comparative data of cellulases, hemicellulases and ethanol producing-microorganisms were presented.

Covalent Immobilization of β-Glucosidase on Magnetic Particles for Lignocellulose Hydrolysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alftrén, Johan; Hobley, Timothy John

2013-01-01

β-Glucosidase hydrolyzes cellobiose to glucose and is an important enzyme in the consortium used for hydrolysis of cellulosic and lignocellulosic feedstocks. In the present work, β-glucosidase was covalently immobilized on non-porous magnetic particles to enable re-use of the enzyme. It was found...... that particles activated with cyanuric chloride and polyglutaraldehyde gave the highest bead-related immobilized enzyme activity when tested with p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (104.7 and 82.2 U/g particles, respectively). Furthermore, the purified β-glucosidase preparation from Megazyme gave higher bead......-related enzyme activities compared to Novozym 188 (79.0 and 9.8 U/g particles, respectively). A significant improvement in thermal stability was observed for immobilized enzyme compared to free enzyme; after 5 h (at 65 °C), 36 % of activity remained for the former, while there was no activity in the latter...

Rational use of fossil-fuel feedstocks and problems in catalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalechits, I V

1977-09-01

A discussion of trends in the availability and cost of petrochemical feedstocks emhasizes the advances in catalyst technology that will be required to offset global shortages of petroleum and natural gas, including the development of more efficient cracking, hydrocracking, hydrotreating, and reforming catalysts for residue refining; the use of catalysts with 2 to 10 times the activity of existing systems, close to 100% selectivity, and high resistance to feedstock poisons to lower energy consumption in, and increase the efficiency of, petrochemical processes; the advantages of metal complex catalysts and possible heterogeneous homogeneous hybrids capable of operating at moderate or low temperatures and pressures; the need for high-temperature catalysts in coal liquefaction and gasification processes; the catalytic recovery of hydrocarbons from coal tar and shale; catalytic energy conversion and storage, fuel cells, etc. 23 references.

Cavitation assisted synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters from sustainable feedstock in presence of heterogeneous catalyst using two step process.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubey, Sumit M; Gole, Vitthal L; Gogate, Parag R

2015-03-01

The present work reports the intensification aspects for the synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) from a non-edible high acid value Nagchampa oil (31 mg of KOH/g of oil) using two stage acid esterification (catalyzed by H₂SO₄) followed by transesterification in the presence of heterogeneous catalyst (CaO). Intensification aspects of both stages have been investigated using sonochemical reactors and the obtained degree of intensification has been established by comparison with the conventional approach based on mechanical agitation. It has been observed that reaction temperature for esterification reduced from 65 to 40 °C for the ultrasonic approach whereas there was a significant reduction in the optimum reaction time for transesterification from 4h for the conventional approach to 2.5h for the ultrasound assisted approach. Also the reaction temperature reduced marginally from 65 to 60 °C and yield increased from 76% to 79% for the ultrasound assisted approach. Energy requirement and activation energy for both esterification and transesterification was lower for the ultrasound based approach as compared to the conventional approach. The present work has clearly established the intensification obtained due to the use of ultrasound and also illustrated the two step approach for the synthesis of FAME from high acid value feedstock based on the use of heterogeneous catalyst for the transesterification step. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Life cycle analysis of multi-crop lignocellulosic material (perennial grasses) for bioethanol production in western Canada : a review.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tripathy, A. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Dept. of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre, Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Bioproducts and Bioprocessing; Panigrahi, S. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Dept. of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering; Mupondwa, E.K. [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre, Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Bioproducts and Bioprocessing

2009-07-01

This paper presented a life cycle assessment of multi-crop lignocellulosic biomass to determine the environmental performance of a bioethanol biorefinery in western Canada. The study investigated the economic aspects of the ethanol fuel system such as biorefinery operating costs and possible improvements in biorefinery economics resulting from pretreatment, hydrolysis, and fermentation processes. The eco-efficiency was determined by comparing economic parameters with selected environmental parameters. The study also compared the efficiency of the lignoce lulosic biorefinery with grain-based dry milling ethanol plants that produce ethanol as well as dried grains and solubles used as animal feed. The study showed that the choice of feedstock and location of the biorefinery is very important. The location should be carefully chosen where there is no water shortage. Various low valued lignocellulosic energy crops such as switch grass, alfalfa, and other perennial grasses can grow in marginal or pasture land and can decrease production costs considerably, thus improving the economic viability of biorefineries. The use of co-products can also add value to the process and can decrease the cost of ethanol production. tabs., figs.

IMPROVING SPECIFIC POWER CONSUMPTION FOR MECHANICAL MIXING OF THE FEEDSTOCK IN A BIOGAS FERMENTER BY MECHANICAL DISINTEGRATION OF LIGNOCELLULOSE BIOMASS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukas Kratky

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Lignocellulosic biomass particles in biogas fermenter batch either sediment towards vessel bottom or rise towards batch surface, where they float and form a compact thick scum. These processes have primarily the negative influence on batch homogeneity, on evenness of batch temperature field, on removal of produced biogas bubbles out of liquid batch and also on mass transfer among microorganisms. These facts result in non-effective usage of biomass energy-potential that entails in low biogas yields. Therefore, good mixing of bioreactor batch is very important in order to stabilize anaerobic digestion process. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the impact of wheat straw disintegration and its hydration on hydrodynamic behaviour and on specific power consumption for mechanical mixing of wheat straw-water suspension. Based on experimental results, it was concluded that both hydration and mechanical disintegration of lignocellulosic biomass significantly improve homogeneity and pump-ability of biomass-water batches. Wheat straw hydration itself decreases specific power consumption for batch mixing by 60 % towards untreated straw. Moreover, mechanical disintegration itself decreases specific power consumption by 50 % at least towards untreated hydrated straw.

A Weibull statistics-based lignocellulose saccharification model and a built-in parameter accurately predict lignocellulose hydrolysis performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Mingyu; Han, Lijuan; Liu, Shasha; Zhao, Xuebing; Yang, Jinghua; Loh, Soh Kheang; Sun, Xiaomin; Zhang, Chenxi; Fang, Xu

2015-09-01

Renewable energy from lignocellulosic biomass has been deemed an alternative to depleting fossil fuels. In order to improve this technology, we aim to develop robust mathematical models for the enzymatic lignocellulose degradation process. By analyzing 96 groups of previously published and newly obtained lignocellulose saccharification results and fitting them to Weibull distribution, we discovered Weibull statistics can accurately predict lignocellulose saccharification data, regardless of the type of substrates, enzymes and saccharification conditions. A mathematical model for enzymatic lignocellulose degradation was subsequently constructed based on Weibull statistics. Further analysis of the mathematical structure of the model and experimental saccharification data showed the significance of the two parameters in this model. In particular, the λ value, defined the characteristic time, represents the overall performance of the saccharification system. This suggestion was further supported by statistical analysis of experimental saccharification data and analysis of the glucose production levels when λ and n values change. In conclusion, the constructed Weibull statistics-based model can accurately predict lignocellulose hydrolysis behavior and we can use the λ parameter to assess the overall performance of enzymatic lignocellulose degradation. Advantages and potential applications of the model and the λ value in saccharification performance assessment were discussed. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Process design and economic analysis of a biorefinery co-producing itaconic acid and electricity from sugarcane bagasse and trash lignocelluloses.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieder-Heitmann, Mieke; Haigh, Kathleen F; Görgens, Johann F

2018-08-01

Itaconic acid has economic potential as a commodity biochemical for the sugar industry, but its production is limited due to high production costs. Using cheaper and alternative lignocellulosic feedstocks together with achieving higher product titres have been identified as potential strategies for viable IA production. Consequently the use of sugarcane bagasse and trash for the production of itaconic acid (IA) and electricity have been investigated for an integrated biorefinery, where the production facility is annexed to an existing sugar mill and new combined heat and power (CHP) plant. Three IA biorefinery scenarios were designed and simulated in Aspen Plus®. Subsequent economic analyses indicated that cheaper feedstocks reduced the IA production cost from 1565.5 US$/t for glucose to 616.5 US$/t, but coal supplementation was required to sufficiently lower the production cost to 604.3 US$/t for a competitive IA selling price of 1740 US$/t, compared to the market price of 1800 US$/t. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asparagus stem as a new lignocellulosic biomass feedstock for anaerobic digestion: increasing hydrolysis rate, methane production and biodegradability by alkaline pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaohua; Gu, Yu; Zhou, Xuefei; Zhang, Yalei

2014-07-01

Recently, anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass for methane production has attracted considerable attention. However, there is little information regarding methane production from asparagus stem, a typical lignocellulosic biomass, by anaerobic digestion. In this study, alkaline pretreatment of asparagus stem was investigated for its ability to increase hydrolysis rate and methane production and to improve biodegradability (BD). The hydrolysis rate increased with increasing NaOH dose, due to higher removal rates of lignin and hemicelluloses. However, the optimal NaOH dose was 6% (w/w) according to the specific methane production (SMP). Under this condition, the SMP and the technical digestion time of the NaOH-treated asparagus stem were 242.3 mL/g VS and 18 days, which were 38.4% higher and 51.4% shorter than those of the untreated sample, respectively. The BD was improved from 40.1% to 55.4%. These results indicate that alkaline pretreatment could be an efficient method for increasing methane production from asparagus stem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilization of biomass in the U.S. for the production of ethanol fuel as a gasoline replacement. I - Terrestrial resource potential. II - Energy requirements, with emphasis on lignocellulosic conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Ferchak, J. D.; Pye, E. K.

The paper assesses the biomass resource represented by starch derived from feed corn, surplus and distressed grain, and high-yield sugar crops planted on set-aside land in the U.S. It is determined that the quantity of ethanol produced may be sufficient to replace between 5 to 27% of present gasoline requirements. Utilization of novel cellulose conversion technology may in addition provide fermentable sugars from municipal, agricultural and forest wastes, and ultimately from highly productive silvicultural operations. The potential additional yield of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass appears to be well in excess of liquid fuel requirements of an enhanced-efficiency transport sector at present mileage demands. No conflict with food production would be entailed. A net-energy assessment is made for lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks' conversion to ethanol and an almost 10:1 energy yield/energy cost ratio determined. It is also found that novel cellulose pretreatment and enzymatic conversion methods still under development may significantly improve even that figure, and that both chemical-feedstocks and energy-yielding byproducts such as carbon dioxide, biogas and lignin make ethanol production potentially energy self-sufficient. A final high-efficiency production approach incorporates site-optimized, nonpolluting energy sources such as solar and geothermal.

Articulating feedstock delivery device

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Kevin

2013-11-05

A fully articulable feedstock delivery device that is designed to operate at pressure and temperature extremes. The device incorporates an articulating ball assembly which allows for more accurate delivery of the feedstock to a target location. The device is suitable for a variety of applications including, but not limited to, delivery of feedstock to a high-pressure reaction chamber or process zone.

2nd generation lignocellulosic bioethanol: is torrefaction a possible approach to biomass pretreatment?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiaramonti, David; Rizzo, Andrea Maria; Prussi, Matteo [University of Florence, CREAR - Research Centre for Renewable Energy and RE-CORD, Florence (Italy); Tedeschi, Silvana; Zimbardi, Francesco; Braccio, Giacobbe; Viola, Egidio [ENEA - Laboratory of Technology and Equipment for Bioenergy and Solar Thermal, Rotondella (Italy); Pardelli, Paolo Taddei [Spike Renewables s.r.l., Florence (Italy)

2011-03-15

Biomass pretreatement is a key and energy-consuming step for lignocellulosic ethanol production; it is largely responsible for the energy efficiency and economic sustainability of the process. A new approach to biomass pretreatment for the lignocellulosic bioethanol chain could be mild torrefaction. Among other effects, biomass torrefaction improves the grindability of fibrous materials, thus reducing energy demand for grinding the feedstock before hydrolysis, and opens the biomass structure, making this more accessible to enzymes for hydrolysis. The aim of the preliminary experiments carried out was to achieve a first understanding of the possibility to combine torrefaction and hydrolysis for lignocellulosic bioethanol processes, and to evaluate it in terms of sugar and ethanol yields. In addition, the possibility of hydrolyzing the torrefied biomass has not yet been proven. Biomass from olive pruning has been torrefied at different conditions, namely 180-280 C for 60-120 min, grinded and then used as substrate in hydrolysis experiments. The bioconversion has been carried out at flask scale using a mixture of cellulosolytic, hemicellulosolitic, {beta}-glucosidase enzymes, and a commercial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The experiments demonstrated that torrefied biomass can be enzymatically hydrolyzed and fermented into ethanol, with yields comparable with grinded untreated biomass and saving electrical energy. The comparison between the bioconversion yields achieved using only raw grinded biomass or torrefied and grinded biomass highlighted that: (1) mild torrefaction conditions limit sugar degradation to 5-10%; and (2) torrefied biomass does not lead to enzymatic and fermentation inhibition. Energy consumption for ethanol production has been preliminary estimated, and three different pretreatment steps, i.e., raw biomass grinding, biomass-torrefaction grinding, and steam explosion were compared. Based on preliminary results, steam explosion still has a

The availability of second generation feedstocks for the treatment of acid mine drainage and to improve South Africa's bio-based economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Westensee, Dirk Karl; Rumbold, Karl; Harding, Kevin G; Sheridan, Craig M; van Dyk, Lizelle D; Simate, Geoffrey S; Postma, Ferdinand

2018-10-01

South Africa has a wide range of mining activities making mineral resources important economic commodities. However, the industry is responsible for several environmental impacts; one of which is acid mine drainage (AMD). Despite several years of research, attempts to prevent AMD generation have proven to be difficult. Therefore, treatment of the resulting drainage has been common practice over the years. One of the recommended treatment methods is the use of second generation feedstocks (lignocellulosic biomass). This biomass is also acknowledged to be an important feedstock for bio-refineries as it is abundant, has a high carbon content and is available at minimal cost. It can also potentially be converted to fermentable sugars (e.g. glucose) through different treatment steps, which could further yield other valuable commodities (cellulase, poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) and penicillin V). It is estimated by a generic flowsheet model that 7 tons of grass biomass can produce 1400 kg of glucose which can subsequently produce 205 kg, 438 kg and 270 kg of cellulase, PHB and Penicillin V, respectively. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of grass as feedstock for AMD treatment and the subsequent conversion of this acid pre-treated grass into valuable bio-products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Techno-economic Assessment of Integrated Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Combined Heat and Power Production from Lignocellulose Residues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Magdeldin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Waste biomass as a mean for global carbon dioxide emissions mitigation remains under-utilized. This is mainly due to the low calorific value of virgin feedstock, characterized generally with high moisture content. Aqueous processing, namely hydrothermal liquefaction in subcritical water conditions, has been demonstrated experimentally to thermally densify solid lignocellulose into liquid fuels without the pre-requisite and energy consuming drying step. This study presents a techno-economic evaluation of an integrated hydrothermal liquefaction system with downstream combined heat and power production from forest residues. The utilization of the liquefaction by-products and waste heat from the elevated processing conditions, coupled with the chemical upgrading of the feedstock enables the poly-generation of biocrude, electricity and district heat. The plant thermal efficiency increases by 3.5 to 4.6% compared to the conventional direct combustion case. The economic assessment showed that the minimum selling price of biocrude, based on present co-products market prices, hinders commercialization and ranges between 138 EUR to 178 EUR per MWh. A sensitivity analysis and detailed discussion on the techno-economic assessment results are presented for the different process integration and market case scenarios.

Autohydrolysis Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Bioethanol Production

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Qiang

Autohydrolysis, a simple and environmental friendly process, has long been studied but often abandoned as a financially viable pretreatment for bioethanol production due to the low yields of fermentable sugars at economic enzyme dosages. The introduction of mechanical refining can generate substantial improvements for autohydrolysis process, making it an attractive pretreatment technology for bioethanol commercialization. In this study, several lignocellulosic biomass including wheat straw, switchgrass, corn stover, waste wheat straw have been subjected to autohydrolysis pretreatment followed by mechanical refining to evaluate the total sugar recovery at affordable enzyme dosages. Encouraging results have been found that using autohydrolysis plus refining strategy, the total sugar recovery of most feedstock can be as high as 76% at 4 FPU/g enzymes dosages. The mechanical refining contributed to the improvement of enzymatic sugar yield by as much as 30%. Three non-woody biomass (sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, and switchgrass) and three woody biomass (maple, sweet gum, and nitens) have been subjected to autohydrolysis pretreatment to acquire a fundamental understanding of biomass characteristics that affect the autohydrolysis and the following enzymatic hydrolysis. It is of interest to note that the nonwoody biomass went through substantial delignification during autohydrolysis compared to woody biomass due to a significant amount of p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid. It has been found that hardwood which has a higher S/V ratio in the lignin structure tends to have a higher total sugar recovery from autohydrolysis pretreatment. The economics of bioethanol production from autohydrolysis of different feedstocks have been investigated. Regardless of different feedstocks, in the conventional design, producing bioethanol and co-producing steam and power, the minimum ethanol revenues (MER) required to generate a 12% internal rate of return (IRR) are high enough to

Developing symbiotic consortia for lignocellulosic biofuel production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zuroff, Trevor R.; Curtis, Wayne R. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2012-02-15

The search for petroleum alternatives has motivated intense research into biological breakdown of lignocellulose to produce liquid fuels such as ethanol. Degradation of lignocellulose for biofuel production is a difficult process which is limited by, among other factors, the recalcitrance of lignocellulose and biological toxicity of the products. Consolidated bioprocessing has been suggested as an efficient and economical method of producing low value products from lignocellulose; however, it is not clear whether this would be accomplished more efficiently with a single organism or community of organisms. This review highlights examples of mixtures of microbes in the context of conceptual models for developing symbiotic consortia for biofuel production from lignocellulose. Engineering a symbiosis within consortia is a putative means of improving both process efficiency and stability relative to monoculture. Because microbes often interact and exist attached to surfaces, quorum sensing and biofilm formation are also discussed in terms of consortia development and stability. An engineered, symbiotic culture of multiple organisms may be a means of assembling a novel combination of metabolic capabilities that can efficiently produce biofuel from lignocellulose. (orig.)

Can lignocellulosic hydrocarbon liquids rival lignocellulose-derived ethanol as a future transport fuel?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yao Ding

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Although transport fuels are currently obtained mainly from petroleum, alternative fuels derived from lignocellulosic biomass (LB have drawn much attention in recent years in light of the limited reserves of crude oil and the associated environmental issues. Lignocellulosic ethanol (LE and lignocellulosic hydrocarbons (LH are two typical representatives of the LB-derived transport fuels. This editorial systematically compares LE and LB from production to their application in transport fuels. It can be demonstrated that LH has many advantages over LE relative to such uses. However, most recent studies on the production of the LB-derived transport fuels have focused on LE production. Hence, it is strongly recommended that more research should be aimed at developing an efficient and economically viable process for industrial LH production.

Novel heat–integrated and intensified biorefinery process for cellulosic ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nhien, Le Cao; Long, Nguyen Van Duc; Lee, Moonyong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A compact biorefinery design was proposed for cellulosic ethanol purification. • Actual fermentation broth from lignocellulosic biomass was considered. • Process integration and intensification achieves competitive biorefinery context. • The response surface method optimizes the complex column structure effectively. • The proposed process could save up to 47.6% of total annual cost. - Abstract: Biofuels have the most potential as an alternative to fossil fuels and overcoming global warming, which has become one of the most serious environmental issues over the past few decades. As the world confronts food shortages due to an increase in world population, the development of biofuels from inedible lignocellulosic feedstock may be more sustainable in the long term. Inspired by the NREL conventional process, this paper proposes a novel heat–integrated and intensified biorefinery design for cellulosic ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. For the preconcentration section, heat pump assisted distillation and double–effect heat integration were evaluated, while a combination of heat–integrated technique and intensified technique, extractive dividing wall column (EDWC), was applied to enhance the process energy and cost efficiency for the purification section. A biosolvent, glycerol, which can be produced from biodiesel production, was used as the extracting solvent in an EDWC to obtain a high degree of integration in a biorefinery context. All configuration alternatives were simulated rigorously using Aspen Plus were based on the energy requirements, total annual costs (TAC), and total carbon dioxide emissions (TCE). In addition, the structure of the EDWC was optimized using the reliable response surface method, which was carried out using Minitab statistical software. The simulation results showed that the proposed heat–integrated and intensified process can save up to 47.6% and 56.9% of the TAC and TCE for the purification

Integrating enzyme fermentation in lignocellulosic ethanol production: life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, Johanna; Barta, Zsolt; Börjesson, Pål; Wallberg, Ola

2017-01-01

Cellulase enzymes have been reported to contribute with a significant share of the total costs and greenhouse gas emissions of lignocellulosic ethanol production today. A potential future alternative to purchasing enzymes from an off-site manufacturer is to integrate enzyme and ethanol production, using microorganisms and part of the lignocellulosic material as feedstock for enzymes. This study modelled two such integrated process designs for ethanol from logging residues from spruce production, and compared it to an off-site case based on existing data regarding purchased enzymes. Greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy balances were studied in a life-cycle assessment, and cost performance in a techno-economic analysis. The base case scenario suggests that greenhouse gas emissions per MJ of ethanol could be significantly lower in the integrated cases than in the off-site case. However, the difference between the integrated and off-site cases is reduced with alternative assumptions regarding enzyme dosage and the environmental impact of the purchased enzymes. The comparison of primary energy balances did not show any significant difference between the cases. The minimum ethanol selling price, to reach break-even costs, was from 0.568 to 0.622 EUR L -1 for the integrated cases, as compared to 0.581 EUR L -1 for the off-site case. An integrated process design could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lignocellulose-based ethanol production, and the cost of an integrated process could be comparable to purchasing enzymes produced off-site. This study focused on the environmental and economic assessment of an integrated process, and in order to strengthen the comparison to the off-site case, more detailed and updated data regarding industrial off-site enzyme production are especially important.

Acetylation of woody lignocellulose: significance and regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashant Mohan-Anupama Pawar

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Non-cellulosic cell wall polysaccharides constitute approximately one quarter of usable biomass for human exploitation. In contrast to cellulose, these components are usually substituted by O-acetyl groups, which affect their properties and interactions with other polymers, thus affecting their solubility and extractability. However, details of these interactions are still largely obscure. Moreover, polysaccharide hydrolysis to constituent monosaccharides, is hampered by the presence of O-acetyl groups, necessitating either enzymatic (esterase or chemical de-acetylation, increasing the costs and chemical consumption. Reduction of polysaccharide acetyl content in planta is a way to modify lignocellulose towards improved saccharification. In this review we: 1 summarize literature on lignocellulose acetylation in different tree species, 2 present data and current hypotheses concerning the role of O-acetylation in determining woody lignocellulose properties, 3 describe plant proteins involved in lignocellulose O-acetylation, 4 give examples of microbial enzymes capable to de-acetylate lignocellulose, and 5 discuss prospects for exploiting these enzymes in planta to modify xylan acetylation.

Biomass Feedstocks | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Feedstocks Biomass Feedstocks Our mission is to enable the coordinated development of biomass generic biomass thermochemical conversion process (over a screened-back map of the United States) showing U.S. Biomass Resources, represented by photos of timber, corn stover, switchgrass, and poplar. All

A lignocellulosic ethanol strategy via nonenzymatic sugar production: process synthesis and analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Jeehoon; Luterbacher, Jeremy S; Alonso, David Martin; Dumesic, James A; Maravelias, Christos T

2015-04-01

The work develops a strategy for the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. In this strategy, the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions are simultaneously converted to sugars using a γ-valerolactone (GVL) solvent containing a dilute acid catalyst. To effectively recover GVL for reuse as solvent and biomass-derived lignin for heat and power generation, separation subsystems, including a novel CO2-based extraction for the separation of sugars from GVL, lignin and humins have been designed. The sugars are co-fermented by yeast to produce ethanol. Furthermore, heat integration to reduce utility requirements is performed. It is shown that this strategy leads to high ethanol yields and the total energy requirements could be satisfied by burning the lignin. The integrated strategy using corn stover feedstock leads to a minimum selling price of $5 per gallon of gasoline equivalent, which suggests that it is a promising alternative to current biofuels production approaches. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LIGNOCELLULOSE NANOCOMPOSITE CONTAINING COPPER SULFIDE

OpenAIRE

Sanchi Nenkova; Peter Velev; Mirela Dragnevska; Diyana Nikolova; Kiril Dimitrov

2011-01-01

Copper sulfide-containing lignocellulose nanocomposites with improved electroconductivity were obtained. Two methods for preparing the copper sulfide lignocellulose nanocomposites were developed. An optimization of the parameters for obtaining of the nanocomposites with respect to obtaining improved electroconductivity, economy, and lower quantities and concentration of copper and sulfur ions in waste waters was conducted. The mechanisms and schemes of delaying and subsequent connection of co...

2G ethanol from the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass

OpenAIRE

Pereira, Sandra Cerqueira; Maehara, Larissa; Machado, Cristina Maria Monteiro; Farinas, Cristiane Sanchez

2015-01-01

Background In the sugarcane industry, large amounts of lignocellulosic residues are generated, which includes bagasse, straw, and tops. The use of the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass for the production of second-generation (2G) ethanol can be a potential alternative to contribute to the economic viability of this process. Here, we conducted a systematic comparative study of the use of the lignocellulosic residues from the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass (bagasse, straw, and to...

Biomass Feedstock National User Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Bioenergy research at the Biomass Feedstock National User Facility (BFNUF) is focused on creating commodity-scale feed-stocks from native biomass that meet the needs...

Example of feedstock optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boustros, E.

1991-01-01

An example of feedstock optimization at an olefins plant which has the flexibility to process different kinds of raw materials while maintaining the same product slate, is presented. Product demand and prices, and the number of units in service as well as the required resources to operate these units are considered to be fixed. The plant profitability is a function of feedstock choice, plus constant costs which are the non-volume related costs. The objective is to find a set or combination of feedstocks that could match the client product demands and fall within the unit's design and capacity, while maximizing the financial operating results

Simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation of lignocellulosic residues from commercial furfural production and corn kernels using different nutrient media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristhian Carrasco

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As the supply of starch grain and sugar cane, currently the main feedstocks for bioethanol production, become limited, lignocelluloses will be sought as alternative materials for bioethanol production. Production of cellulosic ethanol is still cost-inefficient because of the low final ethanol concentration and the addition of nutrients. We report the use of simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF of lignocellulosic residues from commercial furfural production (furfural residue, FR and corn kernels to compare different nutritional media. The final ethanol concentration, yield, number of live yeast cells, and yeast-cell death ratio were investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating cellulosic and starch ethanol. Results Both the ethanol yield and number of live yeast cells increased with increasing corn-kernel concentration, whereas the yeast-cell death ratio decreased in SSCF of FR and corn kernels. An ethanol concentration of 73.1 g/L at 120 h, which corresponded to a 101.1% ethanol yield based on FR cellulose and corn starch, was obtained in SSCF of 7.5% FR and 14.5% corn kernels with mineral-salt medium. SSCF could simultaneously convert cellulose into ethanol from both corn kernels and FR, and SSCF ethanol yield was similar between the organic and mineral-salt media. Conclusions Starch ethanol promotes cellulosic ethanol by providing important nutrients for fermentative organisms, and in turn cellulosic ethanol promotes starch ethanol by providing cellulosic enzymes that convert the cellulosic polysaccharides in starch materials into additional ethanol. It is feasible to produce ethanol in SSCF of FR and corn kernels with mineral-salt medium. It would be cost-efficient to produce ethanol in SSCF of high concentrations of water-insoluble solids of lignocellulosic materials and corn kernels. Compared with prehydrolysis and fed-batch strategy using lignocellulosic materials, addition of starch

Study of the conversion of lignocellulosic (aspen) materials to liquid fuels and chemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pepper, J M; Eager, R L; Mathews, J F

1979-01-01

Studies were completed on the use of the small-scale semi-continuous reactor whereby lignocellulosic materials may be converted into a fuel oil. Changes in design and operation were made and further data obtained as a result of studies of the following parameters: pretreatment with sulfuric acid, operating pressure, presence or absence of CO, and nature of feedstock. The major study has centered around the design, construction and testing of a small-scale continuous reactor whose operation was based upon the use of a newly designed screw unit to compress and deliver the wood meal to the reactor site. Chemical studies on oils were obtained from both wood and cellulose. Semi-continuous reactor experiments were run to demonstrate that proto oil could be made continuously under conditions similar to batch runs, and to outline the ranges of the process variable in which satisfactory operation can be maintained for extended periods of time. 7 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs.

Proceedings. Feedstock preparation and quality 1997 workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattsson, Jan Erik [ed.

1998-06-01

The IEA Bioenergy Feedstock Preparation and Quality 1997 Workshop dealt with fuel feedstock quality improvement and methods to determine feedstock properties. It was arranged by the Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences on behalf of the IEA Bioenergy Task XII Activity 4.1 Feedstock Preparation and Quality. This Activity is a 3-year cooperation 1995-1997 between Denmark, Sweden and the USA, mainly based on information exchange. The workshop had two sections: presentations by invited experts, and country reports on recent development in feedstock preparation and quality in the three participating countries. Separate abstracts have been prepared for four of the six papers presented

Influence of feedstock chemical composition on product formation and characteristics derived from the hydrothermal carbonization of mixed feedstocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xiaowei; Berge, Nicole D

2014-08-01

As the exploration of the carbonization of mixed feedstocks continues, there is a distinct need to understand how feedstock chemical composition and structural complexity influence the composition of generated products. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the carbonization of pure compounds, mixtures of the pure compounds, and complex feedstocks comprised of the pure compounds (e.g., paper, wood). Results indicate that feedstock properties do influence carbonization product properties. Carbonization product characteristics were predicted using results from the carbonization of the pure compounds and indicate that recovered solids energy contents are more accurately predicted than solid yields and the carbon mass in each phase, while predictions associated with solids surface functional groups are more difficult to predict using this linear approach. To more accurately predict carbonization products, it may be necessary to account for feedstock structure and/or additional feedstock properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Liquid fuels from alternative feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrew, S

1984-01-01

The problem of fuels and feedstocks is not technological but political and financial. Methanol is discussed as the lowest cost gasoline substitute to produce. There are two possibilities included for production of methanol: from coal or lignite - either in the US or in Europe, or from natural gas. Biologically produced fuels and feedstocks have the advantage of being renewable. The use of agricultural feedstocks are discussed but only sugar, starch and cellulose are suitable. In the microbiological field, only the metabolic waste product ethanol is cheap enough for use.

Enzymatic conversion of lignocellulose into fermentable sugars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Henning; Kristensen, Jan Bach; Felby, Claus

2007-01-01

and hemicelluloses but these are not readily accessible to enzymatic hydrolysis and require a pretreatment, which causes an extensive modification of the lignocellulosic structure. A number of pretreatment technologies are under development and being tested in pilot scale. Hydrolysis of lignocellulose carbohydrates...

Lignocellulose biotechnology: issues of bioconversion and enzyme ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lignocellulose biotechnology: issues of bioconversion and enzyme production. ... and secondly to highlight some of the modern approaches which potentially could be used to tackle one of the major impediments, namely high enzyme cost, to speed-up the extensive commercialisation of the lignocellulose bioprocessing.

Field-to-Fuel Performance Testing of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks for Fast Pyrolysis and Upgrading: Techno-economic Analysis and Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Pimphan A.; Snowden-Swan, Lesley J.; Rappé, Kenneth G.; Jones, Susanne B.; Westover, Tyler L.; Cafferty, Kara G.

2016-11-17

This work shows preliminary results from techno-economic analysis and life cycle greenhouse gas analysis of the conversion of seven (7) biomass feedstocks to produce liquid transportation fuels via fast pyrolysis and upgrading via hydrodeoxygenation. The biomass consists of five (5) pure feeds (pine, tulip poplar, hybrid poplar, switchgrass, corn stover) and two blends. Blend 1 consists of equal weights of pine, tulip poplar and switchgrass, and blend 2 is 67% pine and 33% hybrid poplar. Upgraded oil product yield is one of the most significant parameters affecting the process economics, and is a function of both fast pyrolysis oil yield and hydrotreating oil yield. Pure pine produced the highest overall yield, while switchgrass produced the lowest. Interestingly, herbaceous materials blended with woody biomass performed nearly as well as pure woody feedstock, suggesting a non-trivial relationship between feedstock attributes and production yield. Production costs are also highly dependent upon hydrotreating catalyst-related costs. The catalysts contribute an average of ~15% to the total fuel cost, which can be reduced through research and development focused on achieving performance at increased space velocity (e.g., reduced catalyst loading) and prolonging catalyst lifetime. Green-house-gas reduction does not necessarily align with favorable economics. From the greenhouse gas analysis, processing tulip poplar achieves the largest GHG emission reduction relative to petroleum (~70%) because of its lower hydrogen consumption in the upgrading stage that results in a lower natural gas requirement for hydrogen production. Conversely, processing blend 1 results in the smallest GHG emission reduction from petroleum (~58%) because of high natural gas demand for hydrogen production.

Methods for treating a metathesis feedstock with metal alkoxides

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Steven A.; Anderson, Donde R.; Wang, Zhe; Champagne, Timothy M.; Ung, Thay A.

2018-04-17

Various methods are provided for treating and reacting a metathesis feedstock. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a feedstock comprising a natural oil, chemically treating the feedstock with a metal alkoxide under conditions sufficient to diminish catalyst poisons in the feedstock, and, following the treating, combining a metathesis catalyst with the feedstock under conditions sufficient to metathesize the feedstock.

Bacillus coagulans MA-13: a promising thermophilic and cellulolytic strain for the production of lactic acid from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

Science.gov (United States)

Aulitto, Martina; Fusco, Salvatore; Bartolucci, Simonetta; Franzén, Carl Johan; Contursi, Patrizia

2017-01-01

The transition from a petroleum-based economy towards more sustainable bioprocesses for the production of fuels and chemicals (circular economy) is necessary to alleviate the impact of anthropic activities on the global ecosystem. Lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars are suitable alternative feedstocks that can be fermented or biochemically converted to value-added products. An example is lactic acid, which is an essential chemical for the production of polylactic acid, a biodegradable bioplastic. However, lactic acid is still mainly produced by Lactobacillus species via fermentation of starch-containing materials, the use of which competes with the supply of food and feed. A thermophilic and cellulolytic lactic acid producer was isolated from bean processing waste and was identified as a new strain of Bacillus coagulans , named MA-13. This bacterium fermented lignocellulose-derived sugars to lactic acid at 55 °C and pH 5.5. Moreover, it was found to be a robust strain able to tolerate high concentrations of hydrolysate obtained from wheat straw pre-treated by acid-catalysed (pre-)hydrolysis and steam explosion, especially when cultivated in controlled bioreactor conditions. Indeed, unlike what was observed in microscale cultivations (complete growth inhibition at hydrolysate concentrations above 50%), B. coagulans MA-13 was able to grow and ferment in 95% hydrolysate-containing bioreactor fermentations. This bacterium was also found to secrete soluble thermophilic cellulases, which could be produced at low temperature (37 °C), still retaining an optimal operational activity at 50 °C. The above-mentioned features make B. coagulans MA-13 an appealing starting point for future development of a consolidated bioprocess for production of lactic acid from lignocellulosic biomass, after further strain development by genetic and evolutionary engineering. Its optimal temperature and pH of growth match with the operational conditions of fungal enzymes hitherto

Fatty acid from the renewable sources: a promising feedstock for the production of biofuels and biobased chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hui; Cheng, Tao; Xian, Mo; Cao, Yujin; Fang, Fang; Zou, Huibin

2014-01-01

With the depletion of the nonrenewable petrochemical resources and the increasing concerns of environmental pollution globally, biofuels and biobased chemicals produced from the renewable resources appear to be of great strategic significance. The present review described the progress in the biosynthesis of fatty acid and its derivatives from renewable biomass and emphasized the importance of fatty acid serving as the platform chemical and feedstock for a variety of chemicals. Due to the low efficient conversions of lignocellulosic biomass or carbon dioxide to fatty acid, we also put forward that rational strategies for the production of fatty acid and its derivatives should further derive from the consideration of whole bioprocess (pretreatment, saccharification, fermentation, separation), multiscale analysis and interdisciplinary combinations (omics, kinetics, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, fermentation and so on). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LIGNOCELLULOSE NANOCOMPOSITE CONTAINING COPPER SULFIDE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanchi Nenkova

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Copper sulfide-containing lignocellulose nanocomposites with improved electroconductivity were obtained. Two methods for preparing the copper sulfide lignocellulose nanocomposites were developed. An optimization of the parameters for obtaining of the nanocomposites with respect to obtaining improved electroconductivity, economy, and lower quantities and concentration of copper and sulfur ions in waste waters was conducted. The mechanisms and schemes of delaying and subsequent connection of copper sulfides in the lignocellulosic matrix were investigated. The modification with a system of 2 components: cupric sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4. 5H2O and sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate (Na2S2O3.5H2O for wood fibers is preferred. Optimal parameters were established for the process: 40 % of the reduction system; hydromodule M=1:6; and ratio of cupric sulfate pentahydrate:sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate = 1:2. The coordinative connection of copper ions with oxygen atoms of cellulose OH groups and aromatic nucleus in lignin macromolecule was observed.

Bio-production of a polyalcohol (xylitol) from lignocellulosic resources : a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soleimani, M.; Tabil, L.; Panigrahi, S. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Dept. of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering

2006-07-01

Lignocellulosic materials that are supplied from several sources at a low price can be utilized as feedstock for chemicals and bio-products. Xylitol is a high value polyalcohol produced by the reduction of D-xylose. It has many advantageous properties, such as low-calorie sweetening power. Due to its higher yield and because downstream processing is expected to be less costly, biotechnological production of xylitol is often more attractive than the chemical method of catalytic hydrogenation. Studies about the bio-production of xylitol, have been mostly focused on establishing the operational parameters and the process options that maximize its yield and productivity in free cell systems. However, some gaps in knowledge exist regarding this bioconversion process in immobilized cell systems and choosing an appropriate carrier for biocatalysts in a fermentation medium. This paper reviewed the metabolism of xylose by microorganisms, variables and process parameters affecting bioconversion of xylose to xylitol in defined media and complex media of lignocellulosic hydrolysates using free and immobilized cell systems. It discussed the natural occurrence, chemical structure, and physical properties of xylitol. Methods of production were discussed, including solid-liquid extraction; chemical production of xylitol; microbial production of xylitol; production of xylitol by bacteria; production of xylitol by molds; and production of xylitol by yeasts. The paper also discussed the parameters of fermentation, including xylose concentration; carbon source; nitrogen source; inoculum age and concentration; aeration rate; and temperature and pH. The production of xylitol from hemicellulose hydrolysate was also discussed along with immobilized-cell fermentation and xylitol recovery from fermented hydrolysate. It was concluded that purification and recovery of xylitol are the primary challenges related to this process, and a successful fermentation using immobilized cell system could

Upgrading Lignocellulosic Products to Drop-In Biofuels via Dehydrogenative Cross-Coupling and Hydrodeoxygenation Sequence.

Science.gov (United States)

Sreekumar, Sanil; Balakrishnan, Madhesan; Goulas, Konstantinos; Gunbas, Gorkem; Gokhale, Amit A; Louie, Lin; Grippo, Adam; Scown, Corinne D; Bell, Alexis T; Toste, F Dean

2015-08-24

Life-cycle analysis (LCA) allows the scientific community to identify the sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of novel routes to produce renewable fuels. Herein, we integrate LCA into our investigations of a new route to produce drop-in diesel/jet fuel by combining furfural, obtained from the catalytic dehydration of lignocellulosic pentose sugars, with alcohols that can be derived from a variety of bio- or petroleum-based feedstocks. As a key innovation, we developed recyclable transition-metal-free hydrotalcite catalysts to promote the dehydrogenative cross-coupling reaction of furfural and alcohols to give high molecular weight adducts via a transfer hydrogenation-aldol condensation pathway. Subsequent hydrodeoxygenation of adducts over Pt/NbOPO4 yields alkanes. Implemented in a Brazilian sugarcane biorefinery such a process could result in a 53-79% reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions relative to conventional petroleum fuels and provide a sustainable source of low carbon diesel/jet fuel. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fermentative hydrogen production from agroindustrial lignocellulosic substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Reginatto, Valeria; Antônio, Regina Vasconcellos

2015-01-01

To achieve economically competitive biological hydrogen production, it is crucial to consider inexpensive materials such as lignocellulosic substrate residues derived from agroindustrial activities. It is possible to use (1) lignocellulosic materials without any type of pretreatment, (2) lignocellulosic materials after a pretreatment step, and (3) lignocellulosic materials hydrolysates originating from a pretreatment step followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. According to the current literature data on fermentative H2 production presented in this review, thermophilic conditions produce H2 in yields approximately 75% higher than those obtained in mesophilic conditions using untreated lignocellulosic substrates. The average H2 production from pretreated material is 3.17 ± 1.79 mmol of H2/g of substrate, which is approximately 50% higher compared with the average yield achieved using untreated materials (2.17 ± 1.84 mmol of H2/g of substrate). Biological pretreatment affords the highest average yield 4.54 ± 1.78 mmol of H2/g of substrate compared with the acid and basic pretreatment - average yields of 2.94 ± 1.85 and 2.41 ± 1.52 mmol of H2/g of substrate, respectively. The average H2 yield from hydrolysates, obtained from a pretreatment step and enzymatic hydrolysis (3.78 ± 1.92 mmol of H2/g), was lower compared with the yield of substrates pretreated by biological methods only, demonstrating that it is important to avoid the formation of inhibitors generated by chemical pretreatments. Based on this review, exploring other microorganisms and optimizing the pretreatment and hydrolysis conditions can make the use of lignocellulosic substrates a sustainable way to produce H2. PMID:26273246

Survey of Alternative Feedstocks for Commodity Chemical Manufacturing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McFarlane, Joanna [ORNL; Robinson, Sharon M [ORNL

2008-02-01

The current high prices for petroleum and natural gas have spurred the chemical industry to examine alternative feedstocks for the production of commodity chemicals. High feedstock prices have driven methanol and ammonia production offshore. The U.S. Chemical Industry is the largest user of natural gas in the country. Over the last 30 years, alternatives to conventional petroleum and natural gas feedstocks have been developed, but have limited, if any, commercial implementation in the United States. Alternative feedstocks under consideration include coal from unconventional processing technologies, such as gasification and liquefaction, novel resources such as biomass, stranded natural gas from unconventional reserves, and heavy oil from tar sands or oil shale. These feedstock sources have been evaluated with respect to the feasibility and readiness for production of the highest volume commodity chemicals in the United States. Sources of organic compounds, such as ethanol from sugar fermentation and bitumen-derived heavy crude are now being primarily exploited for fuels, rather than for chemical feedstocks. Overall, government-sponsored research into the use of alternatives to petroleum feedstocks focuses on use for power and transportation fuels rather than for chemical feedstocks. Research is needed to reduce cost and technical risk. Use of alternative feedstocks is more common outside the United States R&D efforts are needed to make these processes more efficient and less risky before becoming more common domestically. The status of alternative feedstock technology is summarized.

Inhibition of cellulase-catalyzed lignocellulosic hydrolysis by iron and oxidative metal ions and complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tejirian, Ani; Xu, Feng

2010-12-01

Enzymatic lignocellulose hydrolysis plays a key role in microbially driven carbon cycling and energy conversion and holds promise for bio-based energy and chemical industries. Cellulases (key lignocellulose-active enzymes) are prone to interference from various noncellulosic substances (e.g., metal ions). During natural cellulolysis, these substances may arise from other microbial activities or abiotic events, and during industrial cellulolysis, they may be derived from biomass feedstocks or upstream treatments. Knowledge about cellulolysis-inhibiting reactions is of importance for the microbiology of natural biomass degradation and the development of biomass conversion technology. Different metal ions, including those native to microbial activity or employed for biomass pretreatments, are often tested for enzymatic cellulolysis. Only a few metal ions act as inhibitors of cellulases, which include ferrous and ferric ions as well as cupric ion. In this study, we showed inhibition by ferrous/ferric ions as part of a more general effect from oxidative (or redox-active) metal ions and their complexes. The correlation between inhibition and oxidation potential indicated the oxidative nature of the inhibition, and the dependence on air established the catalytic role that iron ions played in mediating the dioxygen inhibition of cellulolysis. Individual cellulases showed different susceptibilities to inhibition. It is likely that the inhibition exerted its effect more on cellulose than on cellulase. Strong iron ion chelators and polyethylene glycols could mitigate the inhibition. Potential microbiological and industrial implications of the observed effect of redox-active metal ions on enzymatic cellulolysis, as well as the prevention and mitigation of this effect in industrial biomass conversion, are discussed.

Profiling microbial lignocellulose degradation and utilization by emergent omics technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosnow, Joshua J; Anderson, Lindsey N; Nair, Reji N; Baker, Erin S; Wright, Aaron T

2017-08-01

The use of plant materials to generate renewable biofuels and other high-value chemicals is the sustainable and preferable option, but will require considerable improvements to increase the rate and efficiency of lignocellulose depolymerization. This review highlights novel and emerging technologies that are being developed and deployed to characterize the process of lignocellulose degradation. The review will also illustrate how microbial communities deconstruct and metabolize lignocellulose by identifying the necessary genes and enzyme activities along with the reaction products. These technologies include multi-omic measurements, cell sorting and isolation, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), activity-based protein profiling, and direct measurement of enzyme activity. The recalcitrant nature of lignocellulose necessitates the need to characterize the methods microbes employ to deconstruct lignocellulose to inform new strategies on how to greatly improve biofuel conversion processes. New technologies are yielding important insights into microbial functions and strategies employed to degrade lignocellulose, providing a mechanistic blueprint in order to advance biofuel production.

An efficient Azorean thermophilic consortium for lignocellulosic biomass degradation

OpenAIRE

Martins, Rita; Teixeira, Mário; Toubarro, Duarte; Simões, Nelson; Domingues, Lucília; Teixeira, J. A.

2015-01-01

[Excerpt] Lignocellulosic plant biomass is being envisioned by biorefinery industry as an alternative to current petroleum platform because of the large scale availability, low cost and environmentally benign production. The industrial bioprocessing designed to transform lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels are harsh and the enzymatic reactions may be severely compromised reducing the production of fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic biomass. Thermophilic bacteria consortium are a potent...

Pyrolysis Strategies for Effective Utilization of Lignocellulosic and Algal Biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Maddi, Balakrishna

Pyrolysis is a processing technique involving thermal degradation of biomass in the absence of oxygen. The bio-oils obtained following the condensation of the pyrolysis vapors form a convenient starting point for valorizing the major components of lignocellulosic as well as algal biomass feed stocks for the production of fuels and value-added chemicals. Pyrolysis can be implemented on whole biomass or on residues left behind following standard fractionation methods. Microalgae and oil seeds predominantly consist of protein, carbohydrate and triglycerides, whereas lignocellulose is composed of carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) and lignin. The differences in the major components of these two types of biomass will necessitate different pyrolysis strategies to derive the optimal benefits from the resulting bio-oils. In this thesis, novel pyrolysis strategies were developed that enable efficient utilization of the bio-oils (and/or their vapors) from lignocellulose, algae, as well as oil seed feed stocks. With lignocellulosic feed stocks, pyrolysis of whole biomass as well as the lignin residue left behind following well-established pretreatment and saccharification (i.e., depolymerization of cellulose and hemicellulose to their monomeric-sugars) of the biomass was studied with and without catalysts. Following this, pyrolysis of (lipid-deficient) algae and lignocellulosic feed stocks, under similar reactor conditions, was performed for comparison of product (bio-oil, gas and bio-char) yields and composition. In spite of major differences in component bio-polymers, feedstock properties relevant to thermo-chemical conversions, such as overall C, H and O-content, C/O and H/C molar ratio as well as calorific values, were found to be similar for algae and lignocellulosic material. Bio-oil yields from algae and some lignocellulosic materials were similar; however, algal bio-oils were compositionally different and contained several N-compounds (most likely from

Pretreatments to enhance the digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, A.T.W.M.; Zeeman, G.

2009-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass represents a rather unused source for biogas and ethanol production. Many factors, like lignin content, crystallinity of cellulose, and particle size, limit the digestibility of the hemicellulose and cellulose present in the lignocellulosic biomass. Pretreatments have as a

Understanding changes in cellulose crystalline structure of lignocellulosic biomass during ionic liquid pretreatment by XRD.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiafu; Wang, Yixun; Zhang, Liye; Zhang, Ruihong; Liu, Guangqing; Cheng, Gang

2014-01-01

X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to understand the interactions of cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass with ionic liquids (ILs). The experiment was designed in such a way that the process of swelling and solubilization of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls was followed by XRD. Three different feedstocks, switchgrass, corn stover and rice husk, were pretreated using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C4mim][OAc]) at temperatures of 50-130°C for 6h. At a 5 wt.% biomass loading, increasing pretreatment temperature led to a drop in biomass crystallinity index (CrI), which was due to swelling of crystalline cellulose. After most of the crystalline cellulose was swollen with IL molecules, a low-order structure was found in the pretreated samples. Upon further increasing temperature, cellulose II structure started to form in the pretreated biomass samples as a result of solubilization of cellulose in [C4mim][OAc] and subsequent regeneration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction of the FCC feedstocks crackability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez Cruz, Francy L; Navas Guzman, Gustavo; Osorio Suarez, Juan Pablo

2009-01-01

This paper presents a statistical model for prediction of feed stock's crackability (potential to generate valuable products on catalytic cracking process), based on experimental reactivity data by micro activity test (MAT - Microscale Fixed Bed Reactor) and detailed physicochemical characterization. A minimum amount of experimental tests corresponding to feed properties (typically available at refinery) is used to build a more complete description of feedstocks including chemical composition and hydrocarbon distribution. Both measured and calculated physicochemical properties are used to predict the yields of main products at several MAT reaction severities. Different well known functions correlating yields and conversion (previously tested with experimental data MAT) allows the evaluation of maximum point of gasoline yield. This point is used like a crackability index and qualitative point comparison of feed stock's potential. Extensive feedstocks data base from Instituto Colombiano del Petroleo (ICP) with a wide range of composition were used to build the model, including the following feeds: 1. Light feedstocks - Ga soils of refinery and laboratory cuts from different types of Colombian crude oils and 2. Heavy feedstocks - Residues or feedstocks combined (blending of ga soil [GO], atmospheric tower bottom [ATB], demetallized oil [DMO] and demetallized oil hydrotreated [DMOH] in several proportions) from the four fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCU) at Ecopetrol S.A. refinery in Barrancabermeja - Colombia. The results of model show the prediction of valuable products such as gasoline for different refinery feedstocks within acceptable accuracy, thus obtaining a reliable ranking of crackability.

Rheological properties of alumina injection feedstocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivian Alexandra Krauss

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The rheological behavior of alumina molding feedstocks containing polyethylene glycol (PEG, polyvinylbutyral (PVB and stearic acid (SA and having different powder loads were analyzed using a capillary rheometer. Some of the feedstocks showed a pseudoplastic behavior of n < 0, which can lead to the appearance of weld lines on molded parts. Their viscosity also displayed a strong dependence on the shear rate. The slip phenomenon, which can cause an unsteady front flow, was also observed. The results indicate that the feedstock containing a lower powder load displayed the best rheological behavior. The 55 vol. % powder loaded feedstock presented the best rheological behavior, thus appearing to be more suitable than the formulation containing a vol. 59% powder load, which attained viscosities exceeding 10³ Pa.s at low shear rates, indicating its unsuitability for injection molding.

Renewable biofuels bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass by microbial community

CERN Document Server

Rana, Vandana

2017-01-01

This book offers a complete introduction for novices to understand key concepts of biocatalysis and how to produce in-house enzymes that can be used for low-cost biofuels production. The authors discuss the challenges involved in the commercialization of the biofuel industry, given the expense of commercial enzymes used for lignocellulose conversion. They describe the limitations in the process, such as complexity of lignocellulose structure, different microbial communities’ actions and interactions for degrading the recalcitrant structure of lignocellulosic materials, hydrolysis mechanism and potential for bio refinery. Readers will gain understanding of the key concepts of microbial catalysis of lignocellulosic biomass, process complexities and selection of microbes for catalysis or genetic engineering to improve the production of bioethanol or biofuel.

Advanced Biocatalytic Processing of Heterogeneous Lignocellulosic Feedstocks to a Platform Chemical Intermediate (Lactic acid Ester)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dr. Sharon Shoemaker

2004-09-03

The development of commercial boi-based processes and products derived from agricultural waste biomass has the potential for significant impact on the economy and security of our nation. Adding value, rather than disposing of the waste of agriculture, can solve an environmental problem and reduce our dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuel for production of chemicals, materials and fuels.

Film of lignocellulosic carbon material for self-supporting electrodes in electric double-layer capacitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsubasa Funabashi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available A novel thin, wood-based carbon material with heterogeneous pores, film of lignocellulosic carbon material (FLCM, was successfully fabricated by carbonizing softwood samples of Picea jezoensis (Jezo spruce. Simultaneous increase in the specific surface area of FLCM and its affinity for electrolyte solvents in an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC were achieved by the vacuum ultraviolet/ozone (VUV/O3 treatment. This treatment increased the specific surface area of FLCM by 50% over that of original FLCM. The results obtained in this study confirmed that FLCM is an appropriate self-supporting EDLC electrode material without any warps and cracks.

Effective Release of Lignin Fragments from Lignocellulose by Lewis Acid Metal Triflates in the Lignin-First Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiaoming; Zhu, Jiadong; Korányi, Tamás I; Boot, Michael D; Hensen, Emiel J M

2016-12-08

Adding value to lignin, the most complex and recalcitrant fraction in lignocellulosic biomass, is highly relevant to costefficient operation of biorefineries. We report the use of homogeneous metal triflates to rapidly release lignin from biomass. Combined with metal-catalyzed hydrogenolysis, the process separates woody biomass into few lignin-derived alkylmethoxyphenols and cellulose under mild conditions. Model compound studies show the unique catalytic properties of metal triflates in cleaving lignin-carbohydrate interlinkages. The lignin fragments can then be disassembled by hydrogenolysis. The tandem process is flexible and allows obtaining good aromatic monomer yields from different woods (36-48 wt %, lignin base). The cellulose-rich residue is an ideal feedstock for established biorefining processes. The highly productive strategy is characterized by short reaction times, low metal triflate catalyst requirement, and leaving cellulose largely untouched. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Bibliography on Biomass Feedstock Research: 1978-2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cushman, J.H.

2003-05-01

This report provides bibliographic citations for more than 1400 reports on biomass feedstock development published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and its collaborators from 1978 through 2002. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is engaged in analysis of biomass resource supplies, research on the sustainability of feedstock resources, and research on feedstock engineering and infrastructure. From 1978 until 2002, Oak Ridge National Laboratory also provided technical leadership for the U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program (BFDP), which supported research to identify and develop promising energy crops. This bibliography lists reports published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and by its collaborators in the BFDP, including graduate student theses and dissertations.

Methods for producing extracted and digested products from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Chundawat, Shishir; Sousa, Leonardo Da Costa; Cheh, Albert M.; Balan; , Venkatesh; Dale, Bruce

2017-05-16

Methods for producing extracted and digested products from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass are provided. The methods include converting native cellulose I.sub..beta. to cellulose III.sub.I by pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass with liquid ammonia under certain conditions, and performing extracting or digesting steps on the pretreated/converted lignocellulosic biomass.

Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Sustainable Bioenergy Source for the Future.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatma, Shabih; Hameed, Amir; Noman, Muhammad; Ahmed, Temoor; Shahid, Muhammad; Tariq, Mohsin; Sohail, Imran; Tabassum, Romana

2018-01-01

Increasing population and industrialization are continuously oppressing the existing energy resources and depleting the global fuel reservoirs. The elevated pollutions from the continuous consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels also seriously contaminating the surrounding environment. The use of alternate energy sources can be an environment-friendly solution to cope these challenges. Among the renewable energy sources biofuels (biomass-derived fuels) can serve as a better alternative to reduce the reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels. Bioethanol is one of the most widely consumed biofuels of today's world. The main objective of this review is to highlight the significance of lignocellulosic biomass as a potential source for the production of biofuels like bioethanol, biodiesel or biogas. We discuss the application of various methods for the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to end products i.e. biofuels. The lignocellulosic biomass must be pretreated to disintegrate lignocellulosic complexes and to expose its chemical components for downstream processes. After pretreatment, the lignocellulosic biomass is then subjected to saccharification either via acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis. Thereafter, the monomeric sugars resulted from hydrolysis step are further processed into biofuel i.e. bioethanol, biodiesel or butanol etc. through the fermentation process. The fermented impure product is then purified through the distillation process to obtain pure biofuel. Renewable energy sources represent the potential fuel alternatives to overcome the global energy crises in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. In future, biofuels may replenish the conventional non-renewable energy resources due to their renewability and several other advantages. Lignocellulosic biomass offers the most economical biomass to generate biofuels. However, extensive research is required for the commercial production of an efficient integrated biotransformation process for the production of

Pretreatment of agricultural biomass for anaerobic digestion: Current state and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Paudel, Shukra Raj; Banjara, Sushant Prasad; Choi, Oh Kyung; Park, Ki Young; Kim, Young Mo; Lee, Jae Woo

2017-12-01

The anaerobic digestion (AD) of agricultural biomass is an attractive second generation biofuel with potential environmental and economic benefits. Most agricultural biomass contains lignocellulose which requires pretreatment prior to AD. For optimization, the pretreatment methods need to be specific to the characteristics of the biomass feedstock. In this review, cereal residue, fruit and vegetable wastes, grasses and animal manure were selected as the agricultural biomass candidates, and the fundamentals and current state of various pretreatment methods used for AD of these feedstocks were investigated. Several nonconventional methods (electrical, ionic liquid-based chemicals, ruminant biological pretreatment) offer potential as targeted pretreatments of lignocellulosic biomass, but each comes with its own challenges. Pursuing an energy-intensive route, a combined bioethanol-biogas production could be a promising a second biofuel refinery option, further emphasizing the importance of pretreatment when lignocellulosic feedstock is used. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass Feedstock and Conversion Supply System Design and Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobson, Jacob J. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Roni, Mohammad S. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Lamers, Patrick [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Cafferty, Kara G. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-09-01

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s bioenergy research program. As part of the research program INL investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. A series of reports were published between 2000 and 2013 to demonstrate the feedstock logistics cost. Those reports were tailored to specific feedstock and conversion process. Although those reports are different in terms of conversion, some of the process in the feedstock logistic are same for each conversion process. As a result, each report has similar information. A single report can be designed that could bring all commonality occurred in the feedstock logistics process while discussing the feedstock logistics cost for different conversion process. Therefore, this report is designed in such a way that it can capture different feedstock logistics cost while eliminating the need of writing a conversion specific design report. Previous work established the current costs based on conventional equipment and processes. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a delivered biomass logistics cost of $55/dry ton for woody biomass delivered to fast pyrolysis conversion facility. The goal was achieved by applying field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL’s biomass logistics model. The goal of the 2017 Design Case is to enable expansion of biofuels production beyond highly productive resource areas by breaking the reliance of cost-competitive biofuel production on a single, low-cost feedstock. The 2017 programmatic target is to supply feedstock to the conversion facility that meets the in-feed conversion process quality specifications at a total logistics cost of $80/dry T. The $80/dry T. target encompasses total delivered feedstock cost, including both grower payment and logistics costs, while meeting all conversion in-feed quality targets

Effects of production and market factors on ethanol profitability for an integrated first and second generation ethanol plant using the whole sugarcane as feedstock.

Science.gov (United States)

Macrelli, Stefano; Galbe, Mats; Wallberg, Ola

2014-02-21

Sugarcane is an attractive feedstock for ethanol production, especially if the lignocellulosic fraction can also be treated in second generation (2G) ethanol plants. However, the profitability of 2G ethanol is affected by the processing conditions, operating costs and market prices. This study focuses on the minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) and maximum profitability of ethanol production in an integrated first and second generation (1G + 2G) sugarcane-to-ethanol plant. The feedstock used was sugarcane juice, bagasse and leaves. The lignocellulosic fraction was hydrolysed with enzymes. Yields were assumed to be 95% of the theoretical for each of the critical steps in the process (steam pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis (EH), fermentation, solid/liquid separation, anaerobic digestion) in order to obtain the best conditions possible for ethanol production, to assess the lowest production costs. Techno-economic analysis was performed for various combinations of process options (for example use of pentoses, addition of leaves), EH conditions (water-insoluble solids (WIS) and residence time), operating cost (enzymes) and market factors (wholesale prices of electricity and ethanol, cost of the feedstock). The greatest reduction in 2G MESP was achieved when using the pentoses for the production of ethanol rather than biogas. This was followed, in decreasing order, by higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency (EHE), by increasing the WIS to 30% and by a short residence time (48 hours) in the EH. The addition of leaves was found to have a slightly negative impact on 1G + 2G MESP, but the effect on 2G MESP was negligible. Sugarcane price significantly affected 1G + 2G MESP, while the price of leaves had a much lower impact. Net present value (NPV) analysis of the most interesting case showed that integrated 1G + 2G ethanol production including leaves could be more profitable than 1G ethanol, despite the fact that the MESP was higher than in 1G ethanol

Alternative, Renewable and Novel Feedstocks for Producing Chemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2007-07-01

Vision2020 and ITP directed the Alternative, Renewable and Novel Feedstocks project to identify industrial options and to determine the work required to make alternative, renewable and novel feedstock options attractive to the U.S. chemicals industry. This report presents the Alternative, Renewable and Novel Feedstocks project findings which were based on a technology review and industry workshop.

Upgrading of petroleum oil feedstocks using alkali metals and hydrocarbons

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, John Howard

2014-09-09

A method of upgrading an oil feedstock by removing heteroatoms and/or one or more heavy metals from the oil feedstock composition. This method reacts the oil feedstock with an alkali metal and an upgradant hydrocarbon. The alkali metal reacts with a portion of the heteroatoms and/or one or more heavy metals to form an inorganic phase separable from the organic oil feedstock material. The upgradant hydrocarbon bonds to the oil feedstock material and increases the number of carbon atoms in the product. This increase in the number of carbon atoms of the product increases the energy value of the resulting oil feedstock.

Catalytic hydroprocessing of heavy oil feedstocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okunev, A G; Parkhomchuk, E V; Lysikov, A I; Parunin, P D; Semeikina, V S; Parmon, V N

2015-01-01

A grave problem of modern oil refining industry is continuous deterioration of the produced oil quality, on the one hand, and increase in the demand for motor fuels, on the other hand. This necessitates processing of heavy oil feedstock with high contents of sulfur, nitrogen and metals and the atmospheric residue. This feedstock is converted to light oil products via hydrogenation processes catalyzed by transition metal compounds, first of all, cobalt- or nickel-promoted molybdenum and tungsten compounds. The processing involves desulfurization, denitrogenation and demetallization reactions as well as reactions converting heavy hydrocarbons to lighter fuel components. The review discusses the mechanisms of reactions involved in the heavy feedstock hydroprocessing, the presumed structure and state of the catalytically active components and methods for the formation of supports with the desired texture. Practically used and prospective approaches to catalytic upgrading of heavy oil feedstock as well as examples of industrial processing of bitumen and vacuum residues in the presence of catalysts are briefly discussed. The bibliography includes 140 references

Catalytic hydroprocessing of heavy oil feedstocks

Science.gov (United States)

Okunev, A. G.; Parkhomchuk, E. V.; Lysikov, A. I.; Parunin, P. D.; Semeikina, V. S.; Parmon, V. N.

2015-09-01

A grave problem of modern oil refining industry is continuous deterioration of the produced oil quality, on the one hand, and increase in the demand for motor fuels, on the other hand. This necessitates processing of heavy oil feedstock with high contents of sulfur, nitrogen and metals and the atmospheric residue. This feedstock is converted to light oil products via hydrogenation processes catalyzed by transition metal compounds, first of all, cobalt- or nickel-promoted molybdenum and tungsten compounds. The processing involves desulfurization, denitrogenation and demetallization reactions as well as reactions converting heavy hydrocarbons to lighter fuel components. The review discusses the mechanisms of reactions involved in the heavy feedstock hydroprocessing, the presumed structure and state of the catalytically active components and methods for the formation of supports with the desired texture. Practically used and prospective approaches to catalytic upgrading of heavy oil feedstock as well as examples of industrial processing of bitumen and vacuum residues in the presence of catalysts are briefly discussed. The bibliography includes 140 references.

Thermophysical properties of lignocellulose: a cell-scale study down to 41 K.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhe; Xu, Zaoli; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Xinwei

2014-01-01

Thermal energy transport is of great importance in lignocellulose pyrolysis for biofuels. The thermophysical properties of lignocellulose significantly affect the overall properties of bio-composites and the related thermal transport. In this work, cell-scale lignocellulose (mono-layer plant cells) is prepared to characterize their thermal properties from room temperature down to ∼ 40 K. The thermal conductivities of cell-scale lignocellulose along different directions show a little anisotropy due to the cell structure anisotropy. It is found that with temperature going down, the volumetric specific heat of the lignocellulose shows a slower decreasing trend against temperature than microcrystalline cellulose, and its value is always higher than that of microcrystalline cellulose. The thermal conductivity of lignocellulose decreases with temperature from 243 K to 317 K due to increasing phonon-phonon scatterings. From 41 K to 243 K, the thermal conductivity rises with temperature and its change mainly depends on the heat capacity's change.

Thermophysical properties of lignocellulose: a cell-scale study down to 41 K.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Cheng

Full Text Available Thermal energy transport is of great importance in lignocellulose pyrolysis for biofuels. The thermophysical properties of lignocellulose significantly affect the overall properties of bio-composites and the related thermal transport. In this work, cell-scale lignocellulose (mono-layer plant cells is prepared to characterize their thermal properties from room temperature down to ∼ 40 K. The thermal conductivities of cell-scale lignocellulose along different directions show a little anisotropy due to the cell structure anisotropy. It is found that with temperature going down, the volumetric specific heat of the lignocellulose shows a slower decreasing trend against temperature than microcrystalline cellulose, and its value is always higher than that of microcrystalline cellulose. The thermal conductivity of lignocellulose decreases with temperature from 243 K to 317 K due to increasing phonon-phonon scatterings. From 41 K to 243 K, the thermal conductivity rises with temperature and its change mainly depends on the heat capacity's change.

Occurrence of Priming in the Degradation of Lignocellulose in Marine Sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Gontikaki, Evangelia; Thornton, Barry; Cornulier, Thomas; Witte, Ursula

2015-01-01

More than 50% of terrestrially-derived organic carbon (terrOC) flux from the continents to the ocean is remineralised in the coastal zone despite its perceived high refractivity. The efficient degradation of terrOC in the marine environment could be fuelled by labile marine-derived material, a phenomenon known as "priming effect", but experimental data to confirm this mechanism are lacking. We tested this hypothesis by treating coastal sediments with 13C-lignocellulose, as a proxy for terrOC, with and without addition of unlabelled diatom detritus that served as the priming inducer. The occurrence of priming was assessed by the difference in lignocellulose mineralisation between diatom-amended treatments and controls in aerobic sediment slurries. Priming of lignocellulose degradation was observed only at the initial stages of the experiment (day 7) and coincided with overall high microbial activity as exemplified by total CO2 production. Lignocellulose mineralisation did not differ consistently between diatom treatments and control for the remaining experimental time (days 14-28). Based on this pattern, we hypothesize that the faster initiation of lignocellulose mineralisation in diatom-amended treatments is attributed to the decomposition of accessible polysaccharide components within the lignocellulose complex by activated diatom degraders. The fact that diatom-degraders contributed to lignocellulose degradation was also supported by the different patterns in 13C-enrichment of phospholipid fatty acids between treatments. Although we did not observe differences between treatments in the total quantity of respired lignocellulose at the end of the experiment, differences in timing could be important in natural ecosystems where the amount of time that a certain compound is subject to aerobic degradation before burial to deeper anoxic sediments may be limited.

ASSERT FY16 Analysis of Feedstock Companion Markets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamers, Patrick [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Hansen, Jason [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Jacobson, Jacob J. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Nguyen, Thuy [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Nair, Shyam [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Searcy, Erin [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Hess, J. Richard [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-09-01

Meeting Co-Optima biofuel production targets will require large quantities of mobilized biomass feedstock. Mobilization is of key importance as there is an abundance of biomass resources, yet little is available for purchase, let alone at desired quantity and quality levels needed for a continuous operation, e.g., a biorefinery. Therefore Co-Optima research includes outlining a path towards feedstock production at scale by understanding routes to mobilizing large quantities of biomass feedstock. Continuing along the vertically-integrated path that pioneer cellulosic biorefineries have taken will constrain the bioenergy industry to high biomass yield areas, limiting its ability to reach biofuel production at scale. To advance the cellulosic biofuels industry, a separation between feedstock supply and conversion is necessary. Thus, in contrast to the vertically integrated supply chain, two industries are required: a feedstock industry and a conversion industry. The split is beneficial for growers and feedstock processers as they are able to sell into multiple markets. That is, depots that produce value-add feedstock intermediates that are fully fungible in both the biofuels refining and other, so-called companion markets. As the biofuel industry is currently too small to leverage significant investment in up-stream infrastructure build-up, it requires an established (companion) market to secure demand, which de-risks potential investments and makes a build-up of processing and other logistics infrastructure more likely. A common concern to this theory however is that more demand by other markets could present a disadvantage for biofuels production as resource competition may increase prices leading to reduced availability of low-cost feedstock for biorefineries. To analyze the dynamics across multiple markets vying for the same resources, particularly the potential effects on resource price and distribution, the Companion Market Model (CMM) has been developed in this

ASSERT FY16 Analysis of Feedstock Companion Markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamers, Patrick; Hansen, Jason; Jacobson, Jacob J.; Nguyen, Thuy; Nair, Shyam; Searcy, Erin; Hess, J. Richard

2016-01-01

Meeting Co-Optima biofuel production targets will require large quantities of mobilized biomass feedstock. Mobilization is of key importance as there is an abundance of biomass resources, yet little is available for purchase, let alone at desired quantity and quality levels needed for a continuous operation, e.g., a biorefinery. Therefore Co-Optima research includes outlining a path towards feedstock production at scale by understanding routes to mobilizing large quantities of biomass feedstock. Continuing along the vertically-integrated path that pioneer cellulosic biorefineries have taken will constrain the bioenergy industry to high biomass yield areas, limiting its ability to reach biofuel production at scale. To advance the cellulosic biofuels industry, a separation between feedstock supply and conversion is necessary. Thus, in contrast to the vertically integrated supply chain, two industries are required: a feedstock industry and a conversion industry. The split is beneficial for growers and feedstock processers as they are able to sell into multiple markets. That is, depots that produce value-add feedstock intermediates that are fully fungible in both the biofuels refining and other, so-called companion markets. As the biofuel industry is currently too small to leverage significant investment in up-stream infrastructure build-up, it requires an established (companion) market to secure demand, which de-risks potential investments and makes a build-up of processing and other logistics infrastructure more likely. A common concern to this theory however is that more demand by other markets could present a disadvantage for biofuels production as resource competition may increase prices leading to reduced availability of low-cost feedstock for biorefineries. To analyze the dynamics across multiple markets vying for the same resources, particularly the potential effects on resource price and distribution, the Companion Market Model (CMM) has been developed in this

Sugar, acid and furfural quantification in a sulphite pulp mill: Feedstock, product and hydrolysate analysis by HPLC/RID.

Science.gov (United States)

Llano, Tamara; Quijorna, Natalia; Andrés, Ana; Coz, Alberto

2017-09-01

Waste from pulp and paper mills consist of sugar-rich fractions comprising hemicellulose derivatives and cellulose by-products. A complete characterisation of the waste streams is necessary to study the possibilities of an existing mill. In this work, four chromatographic methods have been developed to obtain the most suitable chromatographic method conditions for measuring woody feedstocks, lignocellulosic hydrolysates and cellulose pulp in sulphite pulping processes. The analysis of major and minor monosaccharides, aliphatic carboxylic acids and furfurals has been optimised. An important drawback of the spent liquors generated after sulphite pulping is their acidic nature, high viscosity and adhesive properties that interfere in the column lifetime. This work recommends both a CHO-782Pb column for the sugar analysis and an SH-1011 resin-based cross-linked gel column to separate low-molecular-weight chain acids, alcohols and furfurals. Such columns resulted in a good separation with long lifetime, wide pH operating range and low fouling issues.

Biotemplated Synthesis of Anatase Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles via Lignocellulosic Waste Material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donya Ramimoghadam

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs were synthesized by sol-gel method using rice straw as a soft biotemplate. Rice straw, as a lignocellulosic waste material, is a biomass feedstock which is globally produced in high rate and could be utilized in an innovative approach to manufacture a value-added product. Rice straw as a reliable biotemplate has been used in the sol-gel method to synthesize ultrasmall sizes of TiO2-NPs with high potential application in photocatalysis. The physicochemical properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticles were investigated by a number of techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, ultraviolet visible spectra (UV-Vis, and surface area and pore size analysis. All results consensually confirmed that particle sizes of synthesized titanium dioxide were template-dependent, representing decrease in the nanoparticles sizes with increase of biotemplate concentration. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles as small as 13.0 ± 3.3 nm were obtained under our experimental conditions. Additionally, surface area and porosity of synthesized TiO2-NPs have been enhanced by increasing rice straw amount which results in surface modification of nanoparticles and potential application in photocatalysis.

Phenotypic characterisation of Saccharomyces spp. yeast for tolerance to stresses encountered during fermentation of lignocellulosic residues to produce bioethanol

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background During industrial fermentation of lignocellulose residues to produce bioethanol, microorganisms are exposed to a number of factors that influence productivity. These include inhibitory compounds produced by the pre-treatment processes required to release constituent carbohydrates from biomass feed-stocks and during fermentation, exposure of the organisms to stressful conditions. In addition, for lignocellulosic bioethanol production, conversion of both pentose and hexose sugars is a pre-requisite for fermentative organisms for efficient and complete conversion. All these factors are important to maximise industrial efficiency, productivity and profit margins in order to make second-generation bioethanol an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels for future transport needs. Results The aim of the current study was to assess Saccharomyces yeasts for their capacity to tolerate osmotic, temperature and ethanol stresses and inhibitors that might typically be released during steam explosion of wheat straw. Phenotypic microarray analysis was used to measure tolerance as a function of growth and metabolic activity. Saccharomyces strains analysed in this study displayed natural variation to each stress condition common in bioethanol fermentations. In addition, many strains displayed tolerance to more than one stress, such as inhibitor tolerance combined with fermentation stresses. Conclusions Our results suggest that this study could identify a potential candidate strain or strains for efficient second generation bioethanol production. Knowledge of the Saccharomyces spp. strains grown in these conditions will aid the development of breeding programmes in order to generate more efficient strains for industrial fermentations. PMID:24670111

Invasive plants as feedstock for biochar and bioenergy production.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Rui; Gao, Bin; Fang, June

2013-07-01

In this work, the potential of invasive plant species as feedstock for value-added products (biochar and bioenergy) through pyrolysis was investigated. The product yield rates of two major invasive species in the US, Brazilian Pepper (BP) and Air Potato (AP), were compared to that of two traditional feedstock materials, water oak and energy cane. Three pyrolysis temperatures (300, 450, and 600°C) and four feedstock masses (10, 15, 20, and 25 g) were tested for a total of 12 experimental conditions. AP had high biochar and low oil yields, while BP had a high oil yield. At lower temperatures, the minimum feedstock residence time for biochar and bioenergy production increased at a faster rate as feedstock weight increased than it did at higher temperatures. A simple mathematical model was successfully developed to describe the relationship between feedstock weight and the minimum residence time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Innovative technological paradigm-based approach towards biofuel feedstock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Jiuping; Li, Meihui

2017-01-01

Highlights: • DAS was developed through an innovative approach towards literature mining and technological paradigm theory. • A novel concept of biofuel feedstock development paradigm (BFDP) is proposed. • The biofuel production diffusion velocity model gives predictions for the future. • Soft path appears to be the driving force for the new paradigm shift. • An integrated biofuel production feedstock system is expected to play a significant role in a low-carbon sustainable future. - Abstract: Biofuels produced from renewable energy biomass are playing a more significant role because of the environmental problems resulting from the use of fossil fuels. However, a major problem with biofuel production is that despite the range of feedstock that can be used, raw material availability varies considerably. By combining a series of theories and methods, the research objective of this study is to determine the current developments and the future trends in biofuel feedstock. By combining technological paradigm theory with literature mining, it was found that biofuel feedstock production development followed a three-stage trajectory, which was in accordance with the traditional technological paradigm – the S-curve. This new curve can be divided into BFDP (biofuel feedstock development paradigm) competition, BFDP diffusion, and BFDP shift. The biofuel production diffusion velocity model showed that there has been constant growth from 2000, with the growth rate reaching a peak in 2008, after which time it began to drop. Biofuel production worldwide is expected to remain unchanged until 2030 when a paradigm shift is expected. This study also illustrates the results of our innovative procedure – a combination of the data analysis system and the technological paradigm theory – for the present biofuel feedstock soft path that will lead to this paradigm shift, with integrated biofuel production feedstock systems expected to be a significant new trend.

Occurrence of Priming in the Degradation of Lignocellulose in Marine Sediments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evangelia Gontikaki

Full Text Available More than 50% of terrestrially-derived organic carbon (terrOC flux from the continents to the ocean is remineralised in the coastal zone despite its perceived high refractivity. The efficient degradation of terrOC in the marine environment could be fuelled by labile marine-derived material, a phenomenon known as "priming effect", but experimental data to confirm this mechanism are lacking. We tested this hypothesis by treating coastal sediments with 13C-lignocellulose, as a proxy for terrOC, with and without addition of unlabelled diatom detritus that served as the priming inducer. The occurrence of priming was assessed by the difference in lignocellulose mineralisation between diatom-amended treatments and controls in aerobic sediment slurries. Priming of lignocellulose degradation was observed only at the initial stages of the experiment (day 7 and coincided with overall high microbial activity as exemplified by total CO2 production. Lignocellulose mineralisation did not differ consistently between diatom treatments and control for the remaining experimental time (days 14-28. Based on this pattern, we hypothesize that the faster initiation of lignocellulose mineralisation in diatom-amended treatments is attributed to the decomposition of accessible polysaccharide components within the lignocellulose complex by activated diatom degraders. The fact that diatom-degraders contributed to lignocellulose degradation was also supported by the different patterns in 13C-enrichment of phospholipid fatty acids between treatments. Although we did not observe differences between treatments in the total quantity of respired lignocellulose at the end of the experiment, differences in timing could be important in natural ecosystems where the amount of time that a certain compound is subject to aerobic degradation before burial to deeper anoxic sediments may be limited.

An assessment of bio-ethanol as a transport fuel in the UK: v. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marrow, J.E. (Energy Technology Support Unit, Harwell (UK)); Coombs, J. (CPL Scientific Ltd., Newbury (GB))

1990-02-01

This report evaluates the potential for reducing the cost of producing bio-ethanol from agricultural feedstocks by R and D aimed at reducing production costs. Topics covered include purpose grown biomass as feedstock, lignocellulose wastes and residues and conversion technologies for lignocellulosic materials. It is concluded that enzyme hydrolysis of wood or straw with a lignin by-product could be the most cost effective in the future but even then it would be costing considerably more than ethanol's value as a fuel. (UK).

Biodiesel from non-food alternative feed-stock

Science.gov (United States)

As a potential feedstock for biodiesel (BD) production, Jojoba oil was extracted from Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis L.) plant seeds that contained around 50-60 wt.%, which were explored as non-food alternative feedstocks. Interestingly, Jojoba oil has long-chain wax esters and is not a typical trigly...

Biofuel Feedstock Assessment for Selected Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kline, K.L.; Oladosu, G.A.; Wolfe, A.K.; Perlack, R.D.; Dale, V.H.

2008-02-18

Findings from biofuel feedstock production assessments and projections of future supply are presented and discussed. The report aims to improve capabilities to assess the degree to which imported biofuel could contribute to meeting future U.S. targets to reduce dependence on imported oil. The study scope was focused to meet time and resource requirements. A screening process identified Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, and the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) region for initial analysis, given their likely role in future feedstock supply relevant to U.S. markets. Supply curves for selected feedstocks in these countries are projected for 2012, 2017 and 2027. The supply functions, along with calculations to reflect estimated supplies available for export and/or biofuel production, were provided to DOE for use in a broader energy market allocation study. Potential cellulosic supplies from crop and forestry residues and perennials were also estimated for 2017 and 2027. The analysis identified capacity to potentially double or triple feedstock production by 2017 in some cases. A majority of supply growth is derived from increasing the area cultivated (especially sugarcane in Brazil). This is supplemented by improving yields and farming practices. Most future supplies of corn and wheat are projected to be allocated to food and feed. Larger shares of future supplies of sugarcane, soybean and palm oil production will be available for export or biofuel. National policies are catalyzing investments in biofuel industries to meet targets for fuel blending that generally fall in the 5-10% range. Social and environmental concerns associated with rapid expansion of feedstock production are considered. If the 2017 projected feedstock supply calculated as ‘available’ for export or biofuel were converted to fuel, it would represent the equivalent of about 38 billion gallons of gasoline. Sugarcane and bagasse dominate the available supply, representing 64

Biofuel Feedstock Assessment For Selected Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kline, Keith L [ORNL; Oladosu, Gbadebo A [ORNL; Wolfe, Amy K [ORNL; Perlack, Robert D [ORNL; Dale, Virginia H [ORNL

2008-02-01

Findings from biofuel feedstock production assessments and projections of future supply are presented and discussed. The report aims to improve capabilities to assess the degree to which imported biofuel could contribute to meeting future U.S. targets to reduce dependence on imported oil. The study scope was focused to meet time and resource requirements. A screening process identified Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, and the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) region for initial analysis, given their likely role in future feedstock supply relevant to U.S. markets. Supply curves for selected feedstocks in these countries are projected for 2012, 2017 and 2027. The supply functions, along with calculations to reflect estimated supplies available for export and/or biofuel production, were provided to DOE for use in a broader energy market allocation study. Potential cellulosic supplies from crop and forestry residues and perennials were also estimated for 2017 and 2027. The analysis identified capacity to potentially double or triple feedstock production by 2017 in some cases. A majority of supply growth is derived from increasing the area cultivated (especially sugarcane in Brazil). This is supplemented by improving yields and farming practices. Most future supplies of corn and wheat are projected to be allocated to food and feed. Larger shares of future supplies of sugarcane, soybean and palm oil production will be available for export or biofuel. National policies are catalyzing investments in biofuel industries to meet targets for fuel blending that generally fall in the 5-10% range. Social and environmental concerns associated with rapid expansion of feedstock production are considered. If the 2017 projected feedstock supply calculated as 'available' for export or biofuel were converted to fuel, it would represent the equivalent of about 38 billion gallons of gasoline. Sugarcane and bagasse dominate the available supply

Processing Cost Analysis for Biomass Feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badger, P.C.

2002-11-20

The receiving, handling, storing, and processing of woody biomass feedstocks is an overlooked component of biopower systems. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to identify and characterize all the receiving, handling, storing, and processing steps required to make woody biomass feedstocks suitable for use in direct combustion and gasification applications, including small modular biopower (SMB) systems, and (2) to estimate the capital and operating costs at each step. Since biopower applications can be varied, a number of conversion systems and feedstocks required evaluation. In addition to limiting this study to woody biomass feedstocks, the boundaries of this study were from the power plant gate to the feedstock entry point into the conversion device. Although some power plants are sited at a source of wood waste fuel, it was assumed for this study that all wood waste would be brought to the power plant site. This study was also confined to the following three feedstocks (1) forest residues, (2) industrial mill residues, and (3) urban wood residues. Additionally, the study was confined to grate, suspension, and fluidized bed direct combustion systems; gasification systems; and SMB conversion systems. Since scale can play an important role in types of equipment, operational requirements, and capital and operational costs, this study examined these factors for the following direct combustion and gasification system size ranges: 50, 20, 5, and 1 MWe. The scope of the study also included: Specific operational issues associated with specific feedstocks (e.g., bark and problems with bridging); Opportunities for reducing handling, storage, and processing costs; How environmental restrictions can affect handling and processing costs (e.g., noise, commingling of treated wood or non-wood materials, emissions, and runoff); and Feedstock quality issues and/or requirements (e.g., moisture, particle size, presence of non-wood materials). The study found that over the

Enzyme recycling in lignocellulosic biorefineries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Henning; Pinelo, Manuel

2017-01-01

platform. Cellulases are the most important enzymes required in this process, but the complex nature of lignocellulose requires several other enzymes (hemicellulases and auxiliary enzymes) for efficient hydrolysis. Enzyme recycling increases the catalytic productivity of the enzymes by reusing them...... for several batches of hydrolysis, and thereby reduces the overall cost associated with the hydrolysis. Research on this subject has been ongoing for many years and several promising technologies and methods have been developed and demonstrated. But only in a very few cases have these technologies been...... upscaled and tested in industrial settings, mainly because of many difficulties with recycling of enzymes from the complex lignocellulose hydrolyzate at industrially relevant conditions, i.e., high solids loadings. The challenges are associated with the large number of different enzymes required...

Feedstock characterization and recommended procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chum, H.L.; Milne, T.A.; Johnson, D.K.; Agblevor, F.A.

1993-01-01

Using biomass for non-conventional applications such as feedstocks for fuels, chemicals, new materials, and electric power production requires knowledge of biomass characteristics important to these processes, and characterization techniques that are more appropriate than those employed today for conventional applications of food, feed, and fiber. This paper reviews feedstock characterization and standardization methodologies, and identifies research and development needs. It reviews the international cooperation involved in determining biomass characteristics and standards that has culminated in preparing four biomass samples currently available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Biomass Scenario Model | Energy Analysis | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biomass Scenario Model Biomass Scenario Model The Biomass Scenario Model (BSM) is a unique range of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks into biofuels. Over the past 25 years, the corn ethanol plant matter (lignocellulosic biomass) to fermentable sugars for the production of fuel ethanol

An overview of key pretreatment processes for biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol

OpenAIRE

Maurya, Devendra Prasad; Singla, Ankit; Negi, Sangeeta

2015-01-01

Second-generation bioethanol can be produced from various lignocellulosic biomasses such as wood, agricultural or forest residues. Lignocellulosic biomass is inexpensive, renewable and abundant source for bioethanol production. The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol could be a promising technology though the process has several challenges and limitations such as biomass transport and handling, and efficient pretreatment methods for total delignification of lignocellulosics. P...

Homogeneous, heterogeneous and enzymatic catalysis for transesterification of high free fatty acid oil (waste cooking oil) to biodiesel: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Man Kee; Lee, Keat Teong; Mohamed, Abdul Rahman

2010-01-01

In the last few years, biodiesel has emerged as one of the most potential renewable energy to replace current petrol-derived diesel. It is a renewable, biodegradable and non-toxic fuel which can be easily produced through transesterification reaction. However, current commercial usage of refined vegetable oils for biodiesel production is impractical and uneconomical due to high feedstock cost and priority as food resources. Low-grade oil, typically waste cooking oil can be a better alternative; however, the high free fatty acids (FFA) content in waste cooking oil has become the main drawback for this potential feedstock. Therefore, this review paper is aimed to give an overview on the current status of biodiesel production and the potential of waste cooking oil as an alternative feedstock. Advantages and limitations of using homogeneous, heterogeneous and enzymatic transesterification on oil with high FFA (mostly waste cooking oil) are discussed in detail. It was found that using heterogeneous acid catalyst and enzyme are the best option to produce biodiesel from oil with high FFA as compared to the current commercial homogeneous base-catalyzed process. However, these heterogeneous acid and enzyme catalyze system still suffers from serious mass transfer limitation problems and therefore are not favorable for industrial application. Nevertheless, towards the end of this review paper, a few latest technological developments that have the potential to overcome the mass transfer limitation problem such as oscillatory flow reactor (OFR), ultrasonication, microwave reactor and co-solvent are reviewed. With proper research focus and development, waste cooking oil can indeed become the next ideal feedstock for biodiesel.

Lignocellulosic Biomass Derived Functional Materials: Synthesis and Applications in Biomedical Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Peng, Xinwen; Zhong, Linxin; Chua, Weitian; Xiang, Zhihua; Sun, Runcang

2017-09-18

The pertinent issue of resources shortage arising from global climate change in the recent years has accentuated the importance of materials that are environmental friendly. Despite the merits of current material like cellulose as the most abundant natural polysaccharide on earth, the incorporation of lignocellulosic biomass has the potential to value-add the recent development of cellulose-derivatives in drug delivery systems. Lignocellulosic biomass, with a hierarchical structure, comprised of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. As an excellent substrate that is renewable, biodegradable, biocompatible and chemically accessible for modified materials, lignocellulosic biomass sets forth a myriad of applications. To date, materials derived from lignocellulosic biomass have been extensively explored for new technological development and applications, such as biomedical, green electronics and energy products. In this review, chemical constituents of lignocellulosic biomass are first discussed before we critically examine the potential alternatives in the field of biomedical application. In addition, the pretreatment methods for extracting cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin from lignocellulosic biomass as well as their biological applications including drug delivery, biosensor, tissue engineering etc will be reviewed. It is anticipated there will be an increasing interest and research findings in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin from natural resources, which help provide important directions for the development in biomedical applications. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Destroying lignocellulosic matters for enhancing methane production from excess sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Xiaodi; Hu, Yuansheng; Cao, Daqi

2016-01-01

A lot of lignocellulosic matters are usually present in excess sludge, which are hardly degraded in anaerobic digestion (AD) and thus remains mostly in digested sludge. This is a reason why the conversion rate of sludge organics into energy (CH4) is often low. Obviously, the hydrolysis of AD cannot destruct the structure of lignocellulosic matters. Structural destruction of lignocellulosic matters has to be performed in AD. In this study, pretreatments with the same principles as cell disintegration of sludge were applied to destruct lignocellulosic matters so that these materials could be converted to CH4 via AD. Acid, alkali, thermal treatment and ultrasonic were used in the experiments to observe the destructed/degraded efficiency of lignocellulosic matters. Thermal treatment was found to be the most effective pretreatment. Under optimized conditions (T = 150 °C and t = 30  min), pretreated sludge had a degraded rate of 52.6% in AD, due to easy destruction and/or degradation of hemicelluloses and celluloses in pretreatment. The sludge pretreated by thermal treatment could enhance the CH4 yield (mL CH4 g(-1) VSS) by 53.6% compared to raw sludge. Economically, the thermal treatment can balance the input energy with the produced energy (steam and electricity).

Methods for treating lignocellulosic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Robert; Travisano, Philip; Madsen, Lee; Matis, Neta; Lawson, James Alan; Lapidot, Noa; Eyal, Aharon M.; Bauer, Timothy Allen; Belman, Ziv-Vladimir; Hallac, Bassem; Zviely, Michael

2017-10-10

The present invention relates to methods of processing lignocellulosic material to obtain hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose and other high-value products. Also provided are hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose, and other high-value products.

Methods for treating lignocellulosic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jansen, Robert; Gregoire, Claire; Travisano, Philip; Madsen, Lee; Matis, Neta; Har-Tal, Yael Miriam; Eliahu, Shay; Lawson, James Alan; Lapidot, Noa; Eyal, Aharon M.; Bauer, Timothy Allen; McWilliams, Paul; Zviely, Michael; Carden, Adam

2017-05-16

The present invention relates to methods of processing lignocellulosic material to obtain hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose and other high-value products. Also provided are hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose, and other high-value products.

Methods for treating lignocellulosic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jansen, Robert; Gregoire, Claire; Travisano, Philip; Madsen, Lee; Matis, Neta; Har-Tal, Yael Miriam; Eliahu, Shay; Lawson, James Alan; Lapidot, Noa; Burke, Luke; Eyal, Aharon M.; Bauer, Timothy Allen; Sade, Hagit; McWilliams, Paul; Zviely, Michael; Carden, Adam

2017-04-25

The present invention relates to methods of processing lignocellulosic material to obtain hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose and other high-value products. Also provided are hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose, and other high-value products.

Characterization of the aqueous fractions from hydrotreatment and hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic feedstocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panisko, Ellen; Wietsma, Thomas; Lemmon, Teresa; Albrecht, Karl; Howe, Daniel

2015-01-01

In this study the aqueous phases resulting from the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass and the hydrotreatment (HT) of fast pyrolysis bio-oils were analyzed via TC, COD, GC-MS, GC-FID, HPLC, and ICP-OES to determine the organic and inorganic species present and the quantitative amounts of each. This work is necessary to address a significant knowledge gap in the literature related to the aqueous phases from thermochemical processes. Results showed that water from the hydrotreatment of eight different bio-oils contained less than 1 wt% total carbon, in many cases less than 0.2%. Negligible organic carbon was observed. HTL samples contained between 1 and 2 wt% carbon. Due to the large volume of water added to the HTL feedstock and the dilute samples generated, this accounts for 34–45% of the total carbon sent to the reactor. The majority of this carbon was present as acids, with glycolic acid and acetic acid having the highest concentrations. Alcohols, specifically methanol and ethanol, were also present. Numerous ketones were observed, consisting of mainly acetone and cyclopenta-ones. The amount of the total carbon identified and quantified in the HTL samples ranged from 64 to 82%. Inorganic species present in the HT samples were sodium, silicon, and sulfur. The highest levels of sulfur were observed in the grasses and agricultural residue (corn stover). The HTL samples exhibited much higher inorganic content, with very high levels of sodium and potassium. Alkali and alkali earth metals, as well as sulfur, were also present at levels high enough to raise concerns for the use of catalysts in downstream upgrading or reforming processes. - Highlights: • Hydrotreatment samples are less than 1 wt% total carbon with negligible organic C. • 64–82% of the total carbon in HTL samples was identified and quantified. • Organic species in HTL samples were mainly acids, alcohols, and ketones. • Inorganic species in HT samples were mainly Na, Si, and S. �

Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification of Lignin-Rich Biorefinery Residues and Algae Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliott, Douglas C.; Neuenschwander, Gary G.; Hart, Todd R.; Rotness, Leslie J.; Zacher, Alan H.; Santosa, Daniel M.; Valkenburt, Corinne; Jones, Susanne B.; Tjokro Rahardjo, Sandra A.

2009-11-03

This report describes the results of the work performed by PNNL using feedstock materials provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, KL Energy and Lignol lignocellulosic ethanol pilot plants. Test results with algae feedstocks provided by Genifuel, which provided in-kind cost share to the project, are also included. The work conducted during this project involved developing and demonstrating on the bench-scale process technology at PNNL for catalytic hydrothermal gasification of lignin-rich biorefinery residues and algae. A technoeconomic assessment evaluated the use of the technology for energy recovery in a lignocellulosic ethanol plant.

Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Nanocellulose: Structure and Chemical Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. V. Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Lignocellulosic biomass is a complex biopolymer that is primary composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The presence of cellulose in biomass is able to depolymerise into nanodimension biomaterial, with exceptional mechanical properties for biocomposites, pharmaceutical carriers, and electronic substrate’s application. However, the entangled biomass ultrastructure consists of inherent properties, such as strong lignin layers, low cellulose accessibility to chemicals, and high cellulose crystallinity, which inhibit the digestibility of the biomass for cellulose extraction. This situation offers both challenges and promises for the biomass biorefinery development to utilize the cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass. Thus, multistep biorefinery processes are necessary to ensure the deconstruction of noncellulosic content in lignocellulosic biomass, while maintaining cellulose product for further hydrolysis into nanocellulose material. In this review, we discuss the molecular structure basis for biomass recalcitrance, reengineering process of lignocellulosic biomass into nanocellulose via chemical, and novel catalytic approaches. Furthermore, review on catalyst design to overcome key barriers regarding the natural resistance of biomass will be presented herein.

Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Nanocellulose: Structure and Chemical Process

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, H. V.; Hamid, S. B. A.; Zain, S. K.

2014-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is a complex biopolymer that is primary composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The presence of cellulose in biomass is able to depolymerise into nanodimension biomaterial, with exceptional mechanical properties for biocomposites, pharmaceutical carriers, and electronic substrate's application. However, the entangled biomass ultrastructure consists of inherent properties, such as strong lignin layers, low cellulose accessibility to chemicals, and high cellulose crystallinity, which inhibit the digestibility of the biomass for cellulose extraction. This situation offers both challenges and promises for the biomass biorefinery development to utilize the cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass. Thus, multistep biorefinery processes are necessary to ensure the deconstruction of noncellulosic content in lignocellulosic biomass, while maintaining cellulose product for further hydrolysis into nanocellulose material. In this review, we discuss the molecular structure basis for biomass recalcitrance, reengineering process of lignocellulosic biomass into nanocellulose via chemical, and novel catalytic approaches. Furthermore, review on catalyst design to overcome key barriers regarding the natural resistance of biomass will be presented herein. PMID:25247208

Heavy gas oils as feedstock for petrochemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, P.D. [Nova Chemicals Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Du Plessis, D. [Alberta Energy Research Inst., Edmonton, AB (Canada)]|[Alberta Economic Development and Trade, Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2004-07-01

This presentation reviewed the possibilities for converting heavy aromatic compounds and gas oils obtained from Alberta bitumen into competitively priced feedstock for high value refined products and petrochemicals. Upgrading bitumen beyond synthetic crude oil to refined products and petrochemicals would add value to bitumen in Alberta by expanding the petrochemical industry by providing a secure market for co-products derived from the integration of bitumen upgrading and refining. This presentation also reviewed conventional feedstocks and processes; by-products from bitumen upgrading and refining; production of light olefins by the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) and hydrocracking process; deep catalytic cracking, catalytic pyrolysis and PetroFCC processes; technical and economic evaluations; and opportunities and challenges. Conventional feeds for steam cracking were listed along with comparative yields on feedstock. The use of synthetic gas liquids from oil sands plants was also reviewed. Current FCC type processes for paraffinic feedstocks are not suitable for Alberta's bitumen, which require better technologies based on hydrotreating and new ring opening catalysts. tabs., figs.

Identifying inhibitory compounds in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates using an exometabolomics approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zha, Y.; Westerhuis, J.A.; Muilwijk, B.; Overkamp, K.M.; Nijmeijer, B.M.; Coulier, L.; Smilde, A.K.; Punt, P.J.

2014-01-01

Background: Inhibitors are formed that reduce the fermentation performance of fermenting yeast during the pretreatment process of lignocellulosic biomass. An exometabolomics approach was applied to systematically identify inhibitors in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates.Results: We studied the

Identifying inhibitory compounds in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates using an exometabolomics approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zha, Y.; Westerhuis, J.A.; Muilwijk, B.; Overkamp, K.M.; Nijmeijer, B.M.; Coulier, L.; Smilde, A.K.; Punt, P.J.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Inhibitors are formed that reduce the fermentation performance of fermenting yeast during the pretreatment process of lignocellulosic biomass. An exometabolomics approach was applied to systematically identify inhibitors in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates. RESULTS: We studied the

Feedstock and Conversion Supply System Design and Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobson, J. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Mohammad, R. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Cafferty, K. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Kenney, K. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Searcy, E. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Hansen, J. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-09-01

The success of the earlier logistic pathway designs (Biochemical and Thermochemical) from a feedstock perspective was that it demonstrated that through proper equipment selection and best management practices, conventional supply systems (referred to in this report as “conventional designs,” or specifically the 2012 Conventional Design) can be successfully implemented to address dry matter loss, quality issues, and enable feedstock cost reductions that help to reduce feedstock risk of variable supply and quality and enable industry to commercialize biomass feedstock supply chains. The caveat of this success is that conventional designs depend on high density, low-cost biomass with no disruption from incremental weather. In this respect, the success of conventional designs is tied to specific, highly productive regions such as the southeastern U.S. which has traditionally supported numerous pulp and paper industries or the Midwest U.S for corn stover.

Butanol biorefineries: simultaneous product removal & process integration for conversion of biomass & food waste to biofuel

Science.gov (United States)

Butanol, a superior biofuel, packs 30% more energy than ethanol on a per gallon basis. It can be produced from various carbohydrates and lignocellulosic (biomass) feedstocks. For cost effective production of this renewable and high energy biofuel, inexpensive feedstocks and economical process techno...

Biomass traits and candidate genes for bioenergy revealed through association genetics in coppiced European Populus nigra (L.)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Allwright, Mike Robert; Payne, Adrienne; Emiliani, Giovanni; Milner, Suzanne; Viger, Maud; Rouse, Franchesca; Keurentjes, Joost J.B.; Bérard, Aurélie; Wildhagen, Henning; Faivre-Rampant, Patricia; Polle, Andrea; Morgante, Michele; Taylor, Gail

2016-01-01

Background: Second generation (2G) bioenergy from lignocellulosic feedstocks has the potential to develop as a sustainable source of renewable energy; however, significant hurdles still remain for large-scale commercialisation. Populus is considered as a promising 2G feedstock and understanding

Catalytic Gasification of Lignocellulosic Biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chodimella, Pramod; Seshan, Kulathuiyer; Schlaf, Marcel; Zhang, Z. Conrad

2015-01-01

Gasification of lignocellulosic biomass has attracted substantial current research interest. Various possible routes to convert biomass to fuels have been explored. In the present chapter, an overview of the gasification processes and their possible products are discussed. Gasification of solid

Washington biofuel feedstock crop supply under output price and quantity uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Qiujie; Shumway, C. Richard

2012-01-01

Subsidized development of an in-state biofuels industry has received some political support in the state of Washington, USA. Utilizing in-state feedstock supplies could be an efficient way to stimulate biofuel industries and the local economy. In this paper we estimate supply under output price and quantity uncertainty for major biofuel feedstock crops in Washington. Farmers are expected to be risk averse and maximize the utility of profit and uncertainty. We estimate very large Washington price elasticities for corn and sugar beets but a small price elasticity for a third potential feedstock, canola. Even with the large price elasticities for two potential feedstocks, their current and historical production levels in the state are so low that unrealistically large incentives would likely be needed to obtain sufficient feedstock supply for a Washington biofuel industry. Based on our examination of state and regional data, we find low likelihood that a Washington biofuels industry will develop in the near future primarily using within-state biofuel feedstock crops. - Highlights: ► Within-state feedstock crop supplies insufficient for Washington biofuel industry. ► Potential Washington corn and sugar beet supplies very responsive to price changes. ► Feedstock supplies more responsive to higher expected profit than lower risk. ► R and D for conversion of waste cellulosic feedstocks is potentially important policy.

Security of feedstocks supply for future bio-ethanol production in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silalertruksa, Thapat; Gheewala, Shabbir H.

2010-01-01

This study assesses the security of feedstock supply to satisfy the increased demand for bio-ethanol production based on the recent 15 years biofuels development plan and target (year 2008-2022) of the Thai government. Future bio-ethanol systems are modeled and the feedstock supply potentials analyzed based on three scenarios including low-, moderate- and high-yields improvement. The three scenarios are modeled and key dimensions including availability; diversity; and environmental acceptability of feedstocks supply in terms of GHG reduction are evaluated through indicators such as net feedstock balances, Shannon index and net life cycle GHG emissions. The results show that only the case of high yields improvement scenario can result in a reliable and sufficient supply of feedstocks to satisfy the long-term demands for bio-ethanol and other related industries. Cassava is identified as the critical feedstock and a reduction in cassava export is necessary. The study concludes that to enhance long-term security of feedstocks supply for sustainable bio-ethanol production in Thailand, increasing use of sugarcane juice as feedstock, improved yields of existing feedstocks and promoting production of bio-ethanol derived from agricultural residues are three key recommendations that need to be urgently implemented by the policy makers. - Research highlights: →Bioethanol in Thailand derived from molasses, cassava, sugarcane juice could yield reductions of 64%, 49% and 87% in GHGs when compared to conventional gasoline. →High yields improvement are required for a reliable and sufficient supply of molasses, cassava and sugarcane to satisfy the long-term demands for bio-ethanol and other related industries. →Other factors to enhance long-term security of feedstocks supply for sustainable bioethanol production in Thailand include increasing use of sugarcane juice as feedstock and promoting production of bioethanol derived from agricultural residues.

Bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to xylitol: An overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkateswar Rao, Linga; Goli, Jyosthna Khanna; Gentela, Jahnavi; Koti, Sravanthi

2016-08-01

Lignocellulosic wastes include agricultural and forest residues which are most promising alternative energy sources and serve as potential low cost raw materials that can be exploited to produce xylitol. The strong physical and chemical construction of lignocelluloses is a major constraint for the recovery of xylose. The large scale production of xylitol is attained by nickel catalyzed chemical process that is based on xylose hydrogenation, that requires purified xylose as raw substrate and the process requires high temperature and pressure that remains to be cost intensive and energy consuming. Therefore, there is a necessity to develop an integrated process for biotechnological conversion of lignocelluloses to xylitol and make the process economical. The present review confers about the pretreatment strategies that facilitate cellulose and hemicellulose acquiescent for hydrolysis. There is also an emphasis on various detoxification and fermentation methodologies including genetic engineering strategies for the efficient conversion of xylose to xylitol. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of hazelnut husk as a lignocellulosic feedstock for the production of fermentable sugars and lignocellulolytic enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinar, Orkun; Karaosmanoğlu, Kübra; Sayar, Nihat Alpagu; Kula, Ceyda; Kazan, Dilek; Sayar, Ahmet Alp

2017-12-01

The present work focuses firstly on the evaluation of the effect of laccase on enzymatic hydrolysis of hazelnut husk which is one of the most abundant lignocellulosic agricultural residues generated in Turkey. In this respect, the co-enzymatic treatment of hazelnut husk by cellulase and laccase, without a conventional pretreatment step is evaluated. Using 2.75 FPU/g substrate (40 g/L substrate) and a ratio of 131 laccase U/FPU achieved the highest reducing sugars concentration. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry confirmed that the hydrolysate was composed of glucose, xylose, mannose, arabinose and galactose. The inclusion of laccase in the enzyme mixture [carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) and β-glucosidase] increased the final glucose content of the reducing sugars from 20 to 50%. Therefore, a very significant increase in glucose content of the final reducing sugars concentration was obtained by laccase addition. Furthermore, the production of cellulases and laccase by Pycnoporus sanguineus DSM 3024 using hazelnut husk as substrate was also investigated. Among the hazelnut husk concentrations tested (1.5, 6, 12, 18 g/L), the highest CMCase concentration was obtained using 12 g/L husk concentration on the 10th day of fermentation. Besides CMCase, P. sanguineus DSM 3024 produced β-glucosidase and laccase using hazelnut husk as carbon source. In addition to CMCase and β-glucosidase, the highest laccase activity measured was 2240 ± 98 U/L (8.89 ± 0.39 U/mg). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report hazelnut husk hydrolysis in the absence of pretreatment procedures.

Effect of Blended Feedstock on Pyrolysis Oil Composition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Kristin M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gaston, Katherine R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-28

Current techno-economic analysis results indicate biomass feedstock cost represents 27% of the overall minimum fuel selling price for biofuels produced from fast pyrolysis followed by hydrotreating (hydro-deoxygenation, HDO). As a result, blended feedstocks have been proposed as a way to both reduce cost as well as tailor key chemistry for improved fuel quality. For this study, two feedstocks were provided by Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Both were pyrolyzed and collected under the same conditions in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Thermochemical Process Development Unit (TCPDU). The resulting oil properties were then analyzed and characterized for statistical differences.

Biogeochemical cycling of lignocellulosic carbon in marine and freshwater ecosystems: relative contributions of procaryotes and eucaryotes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benner, R.; Moran, M.A.; Hodson, R.E.

1986-01-01

The relative contributions of procaryotes and eucaryotes to the degradation of the lignin and polysaccharide components of lignocellulosic detritus in two marine and two freshwater wetland ecosystems were determined. Two independent methods - physical separation of bacteria from fungi and other eucaryotes by size fractionation, and antibiotic treatments - were used to estimate procaryotic and eucaryotic contributions to the degradation of [ 14 C-lignin]lignocelluloses and [ 13 C-polysaccharide]lignocelluloses in samples of water and decaying plant material from each environment. Both methods yielded similar results; bacteria were the predominant degraders of lignocellulose in each of the aquatic ecosystems. These results indicate a basic difference between the microbial degradation of lignocellulosic material in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Fungi have long been considered the predominant degraders of lignocellulose in terrestrial systems; our results indicate that in aquatic systems bacteria are the predominant degraders of lignocellulose

Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program Status Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kszos, L.A.

2001-02-09

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program (BFDP) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a mission-oriented program of research and analysis whose goal is to develop and demonstrate cropping systems for producing large quantities of low-cost, high-quality biomass feedstocks for use as liquid biofuels, biomass electric power, and/or bioproducts. The program specifically supports the missions and goals of DOE's Office of Fuels Development and DOE's Office of Power Technologies. ORNL has provided technical leadership and field management for the BFDP since DOE began energy crop research in 1978. The major components of the BFDP include energy crop selection and breeding; crop management research; environmental assessment and monitoring; crop production and supply logistics operational research; integrated resource analysis and assessment; and communications and outreach. Research into feedstock supply logistics has recently been added and will become an integral component of the program.

LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS AFTER EXPLOSIVE AUTOHYDROLYSIS AS SUBSTRATE TO BUTANOL OBTAINING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tigunova

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the work was investigation of the effect of the explosive autohydrolysis on lignocellulosic biomass (saving, switchgrass biomass for consequent use as a substrate to produce biofuels such as butanol. Butanol-producing strains, switchgrass Panicum virgatum L. biomass and its components after autohydrolysis were used in study. The thermobaric pressure pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass was carried out using specially designed equipment. The effect of explosive autohydrolysis on lignocellulosic biomass for further use in producing biofuels using microbial conversion was studied. Components of lignocellulosic biomass were fractionated after undergoing thermobaric treatment. The possibility of using different raw material components after using explosive autohydrolysis processing to produce biobutanol was found. Products of switchgrass biomass autohydrolysis were shown to need further purification before fermentation from furfural formed by thermobaric pretreatment and inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. The ability of strains of the genus Clostridium to use cellulose as a substrate for fermentation was proved. It was found that using explosive autohydrolysis pretreatment to savings allowed boosting the butanol accumulation by 2 times.

Process Design and Economics for the Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to High Octane Gasoline: Thermochemical Research Pathway with Indirect Gasification and Methanol Intermediate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, Eric [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Talmadge, M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dutta, Abhijit [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hensley, Jesse [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schaidle, Josh [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Biddy, Mary J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Humbird, David [DWH Process Consulting, Denver, CO (United States); Snowden-Swan, Lesley J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Ross, Jeff [Harris Group, Inc., Seattle, WA (United States); Sexton, Danielle [Harris Group, Inc., Seattle, WA (United States); Yap, Raymond [Harris Group, Inc., Seattle, WA (United States); Lukas, John [Harris Group, Inc., Seattle, WA (United States)

2015-03-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) promotes research for enabling cost-competitive liquid fuels production from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks. The research is geared to advance the state of technology (SOT) of biomass feedstock supply and logistics, conversion, and overall system sustainability. As part of their involvement in this program, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) investigate the economics of conversion pathways through the development of conceptual biorefinery process models. This report describes in detail one potential conversion process for the production of high octane gasoline blendstock via indirect liquefaction (IDL). The steps involve the conversion of biomass to syngas via indirect gasification followed by gas cleanup and catalytic syngas conversion to a methanol intermediate; methanol is then further catalytically converted to high octane hydrocarbons. The conversion process model leverages technologies previously advanced by research funded by the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and demonstrated in 2012 with the production of mixed alcohols from biomass. Biomass-derived syngas cleanup via tar and hydrocarbons reforming was one of the key technology advancements as part of that research. The process described in this report evaluates a new technology area with downstream utilization of clean biomass-syngas for the production of high octane hydrocarbon products through a methanol intermediate, i.e., dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether (DME) which subsequently undergoes homologation to high octane hydrocarbon products.

Directed plant cell-wall accumulation of iron: embedding co-catalyst for efficient biomass conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Chien-Yuan Lin; Joseph E. Jakes; Bryon S. Donohoe; Peter N. Ciesielski; Haibing Yang; Sophie-Charlotte Gleber; Stefan Vogt; Shi-You Ding; Wendy A. Peer; Angus S. Murphy; Maureen C. McCann; Michael E. Himmel; Melvin P. Tucker; Hui Wei

2016-01-01

Background: Plant lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant, renewable feedstock for the production of biobased fuels and chemicals. Previously, we showed that iron can act as a co-catalyst to improve the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass. However, directly adding iron catalysts into biomass prior to pretreatment is diffusion limited,...

Advanced wood- and bio-composites : enhanced performance and sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Jerrold E. Winandy

2006-01-01

Use of wood-based-composites technology to create value-added commodities and traditional construction materials is generally accepted worldwide. Engineered wood- and lignocellulosic-composite technologies allow users to add considerable value to a diverse number of wood- and lignocellulosic feedstocks including small-diameter timber, fast plantation-grown timber,...

Ecotoxicological characterization of biochars: role of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Domene, X; Enders, A; Hanley, K; Lehmann, J

2015-04-15

Seven contrasting feedstocks were subjected to slow pyrolysis at low (300 or 350°C) and high temperature (550 or 600°C), and both biochars and the corresponding feedstocks tested for short-term ecotoxicity using basal soil respiration and collembolan reproduction tests. After a 28-d incubation, soil basal respiration was not inhibited but stimulated by additions of feedstocks and biochars. However, variation in soil respiration was dependent on both feedstock and pyrolysis temperature. In the last case, respiration decreased with pyrolysis temperature (r=-0.78; pmanagement recommendations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of casein biopolymers adsorption to lignocellulosic biomass as a potential cellulase stabilizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckard, Anahita Dehkhoda; Muthukumarappan, Kasiviswanathan; Gibbons, William

2012-01-01

Although lignocellulosic materials have a good potential to substitute current feedstocks used for ethanol production, conversion of these materials to fermentable sugars is still not economical through enzymatic hydrolysis. High cost of cellulase has prompted research to explore techniques that can prevent from enzyme deactivation. Colloidal proteins of casein can form monolayers on hydrophobic surfaces that alleviate the de-activation of protein of interest. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), capillary electrophoresis (CE), and Kjeldahl and BSA protein assays were used to investigate the unknown mechanism of action of induced cellulase activity during hydrolysis of casein-treated biomass. Adsorption of casein to biomass was observed with all of the analytical techniques used and varied depending on the pretreatment techniques of biomass. FT-IR analysis of amides I and II suggested that the substructure of protein from casein or skim milk were deformed at the time of contact with biomass. With no additive, the majority of one of the cellulase mono-component, 97.1 ± 1.1, was adsorbed to CS within 24 h, this adsorption was irreversible and increased by 2% after 72 h. However, biomass treatment with skim-milk and casein reduced the adsorption to 32.9% ± 6.0 and 82.8% ± 6.0, respectively.

Enhanced Ethanol Production with Mixed Lignocellulosic Substrates from Commercial Furfural and Cassava Residues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Ji

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF is an attractive process configuration for bio-ethanol production. Further reductions in process cost of SSF are expected with the use of waste agricultural or industrial materials as feedstock. In the current study, two industrial lignocellulosic wastes, cassava residues (CR and furfural residues (FR, were combined during SSF for ethanol production due to their value-added applications and positive environmental impacts. After CR were liquefied and saccharified, saccharification liquid was added to SSF of FR. The effect of substrate fractions was investigated in terms of ethanol yield, byproduct concentration and the number of yeast cells. Besides, a natural surfactant, Gleditsia saponin, was added to investigate the effect of FR lignin on SSF with 20% substrate concentration. The results showed that increasing the ratio of CR/FR improved the ethanol yield and that the ethanol yield was also increased gradually by increasing the substrate concentration from 6% to 12%. A high ethanol concentration of 36.0 g/L was obtained under the condition of CR:FR = 2:1 with 12% substrate concentration, reaching 71.1% of the theoretical yield. However, Gleditsia saponin did not affect the ethanol yield, indicating the insignificant effect of lignin in SSF with low lignin content in the reaction system.

Cooking with Active Oxygen and Solid Alkali: A Promising Alternative Approach for Lignocellulosic Biorefineries.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yetao; Zeng, Xianhai; Luque, Rafael; Tang, Xing; Sun, Yong; Lei, Tingzhou; Liu, Shijie; Lin, Lu

2017-10-23

Lignocellulosic biomass, a matrix of biopolymers including cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, has gathered increasing attention in recent years for the production of chemicals, fuels, and materials through biorefinery processes owing to its renewability and availability. The fractionation of lignocellulose is considered to be the fundamental step to establish an economical and sustainable lignocellulosic biorefinery. In this Minireview, we summarize a newly developed oxygen delignification for lignocellulose fractionation called cooking with active oxygen and solid alkali (CAOSA), which can fractionate lignocellulose into its constituents and maintain its processable form. In the CAOSA approach, environmentally friendly chemicals are applied instead of undesirable chemicals such as strong alkalis and sulfides. Notably, the alkali recovery for this process promises to be relatively simple and does not require causticizing or sintering. These features make the CAOSA process an alternative for both lignocellulose fractionation and biomass pretreatment. The advantages and challenges of CAOSA are also discussed to provide a comprehensive perspective with respect to existing strategies. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Process for desulfurizing petroleum feedstocks

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, John Howard; Alvare, Javier

2014-06-10

A process for upgrading an oil feedstock includes reacting the oil feedstock with a quantity of an alkali metal, wherein the reaction produces solid materials and liquid materials. The solid materials are separated from the liquid materials. The solid materials may be washed and heat treated by heating the materials to a temperature above 400.degree. C. The heat treating occurs in an atmosphere that has low oxygen and water content. Once heat treated, the solid materials are added to a solution comprising a polar solvent, where sulfide, hydrogen sulfide or polysulfide anions dissolve. The solution comprising polar solvent is then added to an electrolytic cell, which during operation, produces alkali metal and sulfur.

Lignosulfonate and elevated pH can enhance enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses

Science.gov (United States)

ZJ Wang; TQ Lan; JY Zhu

2013-01-01

Nonspecific (nonproductive) binding (adsorption) of cellulase by lignin has been identified as a key barrier to reduce cellulase loading for economical sugar and biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. Sulfite Pretreatment to Overcome Recalcitrance of Lignocelluloses (SPORL) is a relatively new process, but demonstrated robust performance for sugar and biofuel...

A novel biorefinery integration concept for lignocellulosic biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Özdenkçi, Karhan; De Blasio, Cataldo; Muddassar, Hassan R.; Melin, Kristian; Oinas, Pekka; Koskinen, Jukka; Sarwar, Golam; Järvinen, Mika

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Wide review is provided on supply chain and biomass conversion processes. • The requirements for sustainable biorefinery are listed. • An enhanced version distributed-centralized network is proposed. • A novel hydrothermal process is proposed for biomass conversion. - Abstract: The concept of an integrated biorefinery has increasing importance regarding sustainability aspects. However, the typical concepts have techno-economic issues: limited replacement in co-processing with fossil sources and high investment costs in integration to a specific plant. These issues have directed the current investigations to supply-chain network systems. On the other hand, these studies have the scope of a specific product and/or a feedstock type. This paper proposes a novel biorefinery concept for lignocellulosic biomass: sectoral integration network and a new hydrothermal process for biomass conversion. The sectoral integration concept has the potential for sustainable production from biomass: pre-treatment at the biomass sites, regional distributed conversion of biomass from various sectors (e.g. black liquor, sawdust, straw) and centralized upgrading/separation of crude biofuels. On the other hand, the conversion processes compose the vital part of such a concept. The new conversion involves partial wet oxidation - or simultaneous dissolution with partial wet oxidation for solid biomass- followed by lignin recovery with acidification and a reactor that can perform either hydrothermal liquefaction or supercritical water gasification. The process can intake both liquid and solid biomass to produce lignin as biomaterial and syngas or bio-oil. The new concept can contribute social development of rural areas by utilizing waste as valuable raw material for the production of multiple products and reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil-based production.

Anaerobic biodegradation of the lignin and polysaccharide components of lignocellulose and synthetic lignin by sediment microflora

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benner, R.; Maccubbin, A.E.; Hodson, R.E.

1984-05-01

Specifically radiolabeled (/sup 14/C-lignin)lignocelluloses and (/sup 14/C-polysaccharide)lignocelluloses were prepared from a variety of marine and freshwater wetland plants including a grass, a sedge, a rush, and a hardwood. These (/sup 14/C)lignocellulose preparations and synthetic (/sup 14/C)lignin were incubated anaerobically with anoxic sediments collected from a salt marsh, a freshwater marsh, and a mangrove swamp. During long-term incubations lasting up to 300 days, the lignin and polysaccharide components of the lignocelluloses were slowly degraded anaerobically to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ and /sup 14/CH/sub 4/. Lignocelluloses derived from herbaceous plants were degraded more rapidly than lignocellulose derived from the hardwood. After 294 days, 16.9% of the lignin component and 30.0% of the polysaccharide component of lignocellulose derived from the grass used (Spartina alterniflora) were degraded to gaseous end products. In contrast, after 246 days, only 1.5% of the lignin component and 4.1% of the polysaccharide component of lignocellulose derived from the hardwood used (Rhizophora mangle) were degraded to gaseous end products. Synthetic (/sup 14/C) lignin was degraded anaerobically faster than the lignin component of the hardwood lignocellulose; after 276 days 3.7% of the synthetic lignin was degraded to gaseous end products. Contrary to previous reports, these results demonstrate that lignin and lignified plant tissues are biodegradable in the absence of oxygen. Although lignocelluloses are recalcitrant to anaerobic biodegradation, rates of degradation measured in aquatic sediments are significant and have important implications for the biospheric cycling of carbon from these abundant biopolymers. 31 references.

Comparison of different pretreatment methods for separation hemicellulose from straw during the lignocellulosic bioethanol production

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenhuber, Katharina; Krennhuber, Klaus; Steinmüller, Viktoria; Kahr, Heike; Jäger, Alexander

2013-04-01

The combustion of fossil fuels is responsible for 73% of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and consequently contributes to global warming. This fact has enormously increased the interest in the development of methods to reduce greenhouse gases. Therefore, the focus is on the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic agricultural residues. The feedstocks used for 2nd generation bioethanol production are lignocellulosic raw materials like different straw types or energy crops like miscanthus sinensis or arundo donax. Lignocellulose consists of hemicellulose (xylose and arabinose), which is bonded to cellulose (glucose) and lignin. Prior to an enzymatic hydrolysis of the polysaccharides and fermentation of the resulting sugars, the lignocelluloses must be pretreated to make the sugar polymers accessible to enzymes. A variety of pretreatment methods are described in the literature: thermophysical, acid-based and alkaline methods.In this study, we examined and compared the most important pretreatment methods: Steam explosion versus acid and alkaline pretreatment. Specific attention was paid to the mass balance, the recovery of C 5 sugars and consumption of chemicals needed for pretreatment. In lab scale experiments, wheat straw was either directly pretreated by steam explosion or by two different protocols. The straw was either soaked in sulfuric acid or in sodium hydroxide solution at different concentrations. For both methods, wheat straw was pretreated at 100°C for 30 minutes. Afterwards, the remaining straw was separated by vacuum filtration from the liquid fraction.The pretreated straw was neutralized, dried and enzymatically hydrolyzed. Finally, the sugar concentrations (glucose, xylose and arabinose) from filtrate and from hydrolysate were determined by HPLC. The recovery of xylose from hemicellulose was about 50% using the sulfuric acid pretreatment and less than 2% using the sodium hydroxide pretreatment. Increasing concentrations of sulfuric acid

Dry fractionation process as an important step in current and future lignocellulose biorefineries: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barakat, Abdellatif; de Vries, Hugo; Rouau, Xavier

2013-04-01

The use of lignocellulosic biomass is promising for biofuels and materials and new technologies for the conversion need to be developed. However, the inherent properties of native lignocellulosic materials make them resistant to enzymatic and chemical degradation. Lignocellulosic biomass requires being pretreated to change the physical and chemical properties of lignocellulosic matrix in order to increase cell wall polymers accessibility and bioavailability. Mechanical size reduction may be chemical free intensive operation thanks to decreasing particles size and cellulose crystallinity, and increasing accessible surface area. Changes in these parameters improve the digestibility and the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass. However, mechanical size reduction requires cost-effective approaches from an energy input point of view. Therefore, the energy consumption in relation to physicochemical properties of lignocellulosic biomass was discussed. Even more, chemical treatments combined with physicochemical size reduction approaches are proposed to reduce energy consumption in this review. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermostable enzymes as biocatalysts in the biofuel industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeoman, Carl J; Han, Yejun; Dodd, Dylan; Schroeder, Charles M; Mackie, Roderick I; Cann, Isaac K O

2010-01-01

Lignocellulose is the most abundant carbohydrate source in nature and represents an ideal renewable energy source. Thermostable enzymes that hydrolyze lignocellulose to its component sugars have significant advantages for improving the conversion rate of biomass over their mesophilic counterparts. We review here the recent literature on the development and use of thermostable enzymes for the depolymerization of lignocellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production. Furthermore, we discuss the protein structure, mechanisms of thermostability, and specific strategies that can be used to improve the thermal stability of lignocellulosic biocatalysts. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved process for producing a fermentation product from a lignocellulose-containing material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

The present invention relates to the production of hydrolyzates from a lignocellulose-containing material, and to fermentation of the hydrolyzates. More specifically, the present invention relates to the detoxification of phenolic inhibitors and toxins formed during the processing of lignocellulose...

A process for producing a fermentation product from a lignocellulose-containing material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2016-01-01

The present invention relates to the production of hydrolyzates from a lignocellulose-containing material, and to fermentation of the hydrolyzates. More specifically, the present invention relates to the detoxification of phenolic inhibitors and toxins formed during the processing of lignocellulose...

[Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass with animal digestion mechanisms].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hao; Zhang, Pan-Yue; Guo, Jian-Bin; Wu, Yong-Jie

2013-02-01

Lignocellulosic material is the most abundant renewable resource in the earth. Herbivores and wood-eating insects are highly effective in the digestion of plant cellulose, while anaerobic digestion process simulating animal alimentary tract still remains inefficient. The digestion mechanisms of herbivores and wood-eating insects and the development of anaerobic digestion processes of lignocellulose were reviewed for better understanding of animal digestion mechanisms and their application in design and operation of the anaerobic digestion reactor. Highly effective digestion of lignocellulosic materials in animal digestive system results from the synergistic effect of various digestive enzymes and a series of physical and biochemical reactions. Microbial fermentation system is strongly supported by powerful pretreatment, such as rumination of ruminants, cellulase catalysis and alkali treatment in digestive tract of wood-eating insects. Oxygen concentration gradient along the digestive tract may stimulate the hydrolytic activity of some microorganisms. In addition, the excellent arrangement of solid retention time, digesta flow and end product discharge enhance the animal digestion of wood cellulose. Although anaerobic digestion processes inoculated with rumen microorganisms based rumen digestion mechanisms were developed to treat lignocellulose, the fermentation was more greatly limited by the environmental conditions in the anaerobic digestion reactors than that in rumen or hindgut. Therefore, the anaerobic digestion processes simulating animal digestion mechanisms can effectively enhance the degradation of wood cellulose and other organic solid wastes.

Effects of gamma irradiation on the decomposition and biodegradability of lignocellulose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gas, G.; Bono, J.J.; Boudet, A.M.; Jaureguy, L.; Torres, L.; Mathieu, J.

1984-01-01

The study of effects of a pretreatment by gamma radiation on radioactive lignocellulose from poplar-tree and on subsequent biodegradation by fungi is realized for residues and soluble products. Measurement before and after treatment, of cellulose accessibility to an exogen cellulase shows the interest of irradiation in transformation processes of lignocellulosic products [fr

A fundamental review of the relationships between nanotechnology and lignocellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Theodore Wegner; E. Philip Jones

2009-01-01

At first glance, the relationship between nanotechnology and lignocellulosic biomass may seem to be unconnected or at best tenuously connected. It is important to recognize that. at a fundamental level, lignocellulosic biomass is made up of nanometer-size constitutive building block units that provide valuable properties to wood and other types of renewable...

New Frontiers in the Catalytic Synthesis of Levulinic Acid: From Sugars to Raw and Waste Biomass as Starting Feedstock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Antonetti

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Levulinic acid (LA is one of the top bio-based platform molecules that can be converted into many valuable chemicals. It can be produced by acid catalysis from renewable resources, such as sugars, lignocellulosic biomass and waste materials, attractive candidates due to their abundance and environmentally benign nature. The LA transition from niche product to mass-produced chemical, however, requires its production from sustainable biomass feedstocks at low costs, adopting environment-friendly techniques. This review is an up-to-date discussion of the literature on the several catalytic systems that have been developed to produce LA from the different substrates. Special attention has been paid to the recent advancements on starting materials, moving from simple sugars to raw and waste biomasses. This aspect is of paramount importance from a sustainability point of view, transforming wastes needing to be disposed into starting materials for value-added products. This review also discusses the strategies to exploit the solid residues always obtained in the LA production processes, in order to attain a circular economy approach.

Genotype, development and tissue-derived variation of cell-wall properties in the lignocellulosic energy crop Miscanthus.

Science.gov (United States)

da Costa, Ricardo M F; Lee, Scott J; Allison, Gordon G; Hazen, Samuel P; Winters, Ana; Bosch, Maurice

2014-10-01

Species and hybrids of the genus Miscanthus contain attributes that make them front-runners among current selections of dedicated bioenergy crops. A key trait for plant biomass conversion to biofuels and biomaterials is cell-wall quality; however, knowledge of cell-wall composition and biology in Miscanthus species is limited. This study presents data on cell-wall compositional changes as a function of development and tissue type across selected genotypes, and considers implications for the development of miscanthus as a sustainable and renewable bioenergy feedstock. Cell-wall biomass was analysed for 25 genotypes, considering different developmental stages and stem vs. leaf compositional variability, by Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy and lignin determination. In addition, a Clostridium phytofermentans bioassay was used to assess cell-wall digestibility and conversion to ethanol. Important cell-wall compositional differences between miscanthus stem and leaf samples were found to be predominantly associated with structural carbohydrates. Lignin content increased as plants matured and was higher in stem tissues. Although stem lignin concentration correlated inversely with ethanol production, no such correlation was observed for leaves. Leaf tissue contributed significantly to total above-ground biomass at all stages, although the extent of this contribution was genotype-dependent. It is hypothesized that divergent carbohydrate compositions and modifications in stem and leaf tissues are major determinants for observed differences in cell-wall quality. The findings indicate that improvement of lignocellulosic feedstocks should encompass tissue-dependent variation as it affects amenability to biological conversion. For gene-trait associations relating to cell-wall quality, the data support the separate examination of leaf and stem composition, as tissue-specific traits may be masked by considering only total above-ground biomass samples, and sample

Sustainable Use of Biotechnology for Bioenergy Feedstocks

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Hong S.; Abercrombie, Jason M.; Kausch, Albert P.; Stewart, C. Neal

2010-10-01

Done correctly, cellulosic bioenergy should be both environmentally and economically beneficial. Carbon sequestration and decreased fossil fuel use are both worthy goals in developing next-generation biofuels. We believe that biotechnology will be needed to significantly improve yield and digestibility of dedicated perennial herbaceous biomass feedstocks, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, which are native to the US and China, respectively. This Forum discusses the sustainability of herbaceous feedstocks relative to the regulation of biotechnology with regards to likely genetically engineered traits. The Forum focuses on two prominent countries wishing to develop their bioeconomies: the US and China. These two countries also share a political desire and regulatory frameworks to enable the commercialization and wide release of transgenic feedstocks with appropriate and safe new genetics. In recent years, regulators in both countries perform regular inspections of transgenic field releases and seriously consider compliance issues, even though the US framework is considered to be more mature and stringent. Transgene flow continues to be a pertinent environmental and regulatory issue with regards to transgenic plants. This concern is largely driven by consumer issues and ecological uncertainties. Regulators are concerned about large-scale releases of transgenic crops that have sexually compatible crops or wild relatives that can stably harbor transgenes via hybridization and introgression. Therefore, prior to the commercialization or extensive field testing of transgenic bioenergy feedstocks, we recommend that mechanisms that ensure biocontainment of transgenes be instituted, especially for perennial grasses. A cautionary case study will be presented in which a plant’s biology and ecology conspired against regulatory constraints in a non-biomass crop perennial grass (creeping bentgrass, Agrostis stolonifera), in which biocontainment was not attained. Appropriate

Characterization of Spartina alterniflora as feedstock for anaerobic digestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Shiguan; Zheng, Zheng; Meng, Zhuo; Li, Jihong

2009-01-01

Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), a saltmarsh plant with high production, was characterized for its potential for use as feedstock for anaerobic digestion processes. The anaerobic digestibility and biogas yield of S. alterniflora were evaluated by anaerobic batch digestion experiments performed at 35 ± 1 C at initial volatile solids (VS) of 6%. The nutrient content analysis indicated that S. alterniflora contained the required nutrition for anaerobic microorganisms, but its high C/N of 58.8, high K and Na contents of 8.1, 22.7 g kg -1 , respectively, may be disadvantageous to its anaerobic digestion. The cumulative biogas yield was determined to be 358 L kg -1 VS and the biodegradation efficiency was 45% after 60 days of digestion. The methane content of biogas increased from 53% on day 3 to around 62% after 13 days of digestion. The changes of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) indicated that the acidification of S. alterniflora was propionate-type fermentation with proportion of acetate and propionate ranging from 54.8% to 98.4%, and the hydrolysis of lignocellulose was the rate-limiting step for its anaerobic digestion. The analysis of cations suggested that K + and Mg 2+ , with the maximum concentration of 1.35 and 0.43 g L -1 in fermentation liquor, respectively, could be inhibitory to the anaerobic digestion of S. alterniflora. It is concluded that S. alterniflora can be transformed into clean energy by anaerobic digestion and the high contents of K, Na, Ca and Mg may be the inhibitory factors when S. alterniflora is digested by continuous or semi-continuous anaerobic process. (author)

Conversion of raw lignocellulosic biomass into branched long-chain alkanes through three tandem steps.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chunrui; Ding, Daqian; Xia, Qineng; Liu, Xiaohui; Wang, Yanqin

2016-07-07

Synthesis of branched long-chain alkanes from renewable biomass has attracted intensive interest in recent years, but the feedstock for this synthesis is restricted to platform chemicals. Here, we develop an effective and energy-efficient process to convert raw lignocellulosic biomass (e.g., corncob) into branched diesel-range alkanes through three tandem steps for the first time. Furfural and isopropyl levulinate (LA ester) were prepared from hemicellulose and cellulose fractions of corncob in toluene/water biphasic system with added isopropanol, which was followed by double aldol condensation of furfural with LA ester into C15 oxygenates and the final hydrodeoxygenation of C15 oxygenates into branched long-chain alkanes. The core point of this tandem process is the addition of isopropanol in the first step, which enables the spontaneous transfer of levulinic acid (LA) into the toluene phase in the form of LA ester through esterification, resulting in LA ester co-existing with furfural in the same phase, which is the basis for double aldol condensation in the toluene phase. Moreover, the acidic aqueous phase and toluene can be reused and the residues, including lignin and humins in aqueous phase, can be separated and carbonized to porous carbon materials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The potential of C4 grasses for cellulosic biofuel production

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Tim eWeijde

2013-05-01

Full Text Available With the advent of biorefinery technologies enabling plant biomass to be processed into biofuel, many researchers set out to study and improve candidate biomass crops. Many of these candidates are C4 grasses, characterized by a high productivity and resource use efficiency. In this review the potential of five C4 grasses as lignocellulose feedstock for biofuel production is discussed. These include three important field crops - maize, sugarcane and sorghum - and two undomesticated perennial energy grasses - miscanthus and switchgrass. Although all these grasses are high yielding, they produce different products. While miscanthus and switchgrass are exploited exclusively for lignocellulosic biomass, maize, sorghum and sugarcane are dual-purpose crops. It is unlikely that all the prerequisites for the sustainable and economic production of biomass for a global cellulosic biofuel industry will be fulfilled by a single crop. High and stable yields of lignocellulose are required in diverse environments worldwide, to sustain a year-round production of biofuel. A high resource use efficiency is indispensable to allow cultivation with minimal inputs of nutrients and water and the exploitation of marginal soils for biomass production. Finally, the lignocellulose composition of the feedstock should be optimized to allow its efficient conversion into biofuel and other by-products. Breeding for these objectives should encompass diverse crops, to meet the demands of local biorefineries and provide adaptability to different environments. Collectively, these C4 grasses are likely to play a central role in the supply of lignocellulose for the cellulosic ethanol industry. Moreover, as these species are evolutionary closely related, advances in each of these crops will expedite improvements in the other crops. This review aims to provide an overview of their potential, prospects and research needs as lignocellulose feedstocks for the commercial production of

Expression of Aspergillus niger CAZymes is determined by compositional changes in wheat straw generated by hydrothermal or ionic liquid pretreatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, Paul; van Munster, Jolanda M; Blythe, Martin J; Ibbett, Roger; Kokolski, Matt; Gaddipati, Sanyasi; Lindquist, Erika; Singan, Vasanth R; Barry, Kerrie W; Lipzen, Anna; Ngan, Chew Yee; Petzold, Christopher J; Chan, Leanne Jade G; Pullan, Steven T; Delmas, Stéphane; Waldron, Paul R; Grigoriev, Igor V; Tucker, Gregory A; Simmons, Blake A; Archer, David B

2017-01-01

The capacity of fungi, such as Aspergillus niger, to degrade lignocellulose is harnessed in biotechnology to generate biofuels and high-value compounds from renewable feedstocks. Most feedstocks are currently pretreated to increase enzymatic digestibility: improving our understanding of the transcriptomic responses of fungi to pretreated lignocellulosic substrates could help to improve the mix of activities and reduce the production costs of commercial lignocellulose saccharifying cocktails. We investigated the responses of A. niger to untreated, ionic liquid and hydrothermally pretreated wheat straw over a 5-day time course using RNA-seq and targeted proteomics. The ionic liquid pretreatment altered the cellulose crystallinity while retaining more of the hemicellulosic sugars than the hydrothermal pretreatment. Ionic liquid pretreatment of straw led to a dynamic induction and repression of genes, which was correlated with the higher levels of pentose sugars saccharified from the ionic liquid-pretreated straw. Hydrothermal pretreatment of straw led to reduced levels of transcripts of genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes as well as the derived proteins and enzyme activities. Both pretreatments abolished the expression of a large set of genes encoding pectinolytic enzymes. These reduced levels could be explained by the removal of parts of the lignocellulose by the hydrothermal pretreatment. The time course also facilitated identification of temporally limited gene induction patterns. The presented transcriptomic and biochemical datasets demonstrate that pretreatments caused modifications of the lignocellulose, to both specific structural features as well as the organisation of the overall lignocellulosic structure, that determined A. niger transcript levels. The experimental setup allowed reliable detection of substrate-specific gene expression patterns as well as hitherto non-expressed genes. Our data suggest beneficial effects of using untreated and IL

Lignin pyrolysis for profitable lignocellulosic biorefineries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wild, de P.J.; Gosselink, R.J.A.; Huijgen, W.J.J.

2014-01-01

Bio-based industries (pulp and paper and biorefineries) produce > 50 Mt/yr of lignin that results from fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass. Lignin is world's second biopolymer and a major potential source for production of performance materials and aromatic chemicals. Lignin valorization is

Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Wastes to Improve Ethanol and Biogas Production: A Review

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Keikhosro Karimi

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Lignocelluloses are often a major or sometimes the sole components of different waste streams from various industries, forestry, agriculture and municipalities. Hydrolysis of these materials is the first step for either digestion to biogas (methane or fermentation to ethanol. However, enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses with no pretreatment is usually not so effective because of high stability of the materials to enzymatic or bacterial attacks. The present work is dedicated to reviewing the methods that have been studied for pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes for conversion to ethanol or biogas. Effective parameters in pretreatment of lignocelluloses, such as crystallinity, accessible surface area, and protection by lignin and hemicellulose are described first. Then, several pretreatment methods are discussed and their effects on improvement in ethanol and/or biogas production are described. They include milling, irradiation, microwave, steam explosion, ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX, supercritical CO2 and its explosion, alkaline hydrolysis, liquid hot-water pretreatment, organosolv processes, wet oxidation, ozonolysis, dilute- and concentrated-acid hydrolyses, and biological pretreatments.

Biodegradation of Lignocelluloses in Sewage Sludge Composting and Vermicomposting

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Hosein Alidadi

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Please cite this article as: Alidadi H, Najafpour AA, Vafaee A, Parvaresh A, Peiravi R. Biodegradation of lignocelluloses in sewage sludge composting and vermicomposting. Arch Hyg Sci 2012;1(1:1-5.   Aims of the Study: The aim of this study was to determine the amount of lignin degradation and biodegradation of organic matter and change of biomass under compost and vermicomposting of sewage sludge. Materials & Methods: Sawdust was added to sewage sludge at 1:3 weight bases to Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 25:1 for composting or vermicomposting. Lignin and volatile solids were determined at different periods, of 0, 10, 30, 40 and 60 days of composting or vermicomposting period to determine the biodegradation of lignocellulose to lignin. Results were expressed as mean of two replicates and the comparisons among means were made using the least significant difference test calculated (p <0.05. Results: After 60 days of experiment period, the initial lignin increased from 3.46% to 4.48% for compost and 3.46% to 5.27% for vermicompost. Biodegradation of lignocellulose was very slow in compost and vermicompost processes. Vermicomposting is a much faster process than compost to convert lignocellulose to lignin (p <0.05. Conclusions: The organic matter losses in sewage sludge composting and vermicomposting are due to the degradation of the lignin fractions. By increasing compost age, the amount of volatile solids will decrease.

Markets for Canadian bitumen-based feedstock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauerman, V.

2001-01-01

The best types of refineries for processing western Canadian bitumen-based feedstock (BBF) were identified and a potential market for these feedstock for year 2007 was calculated. In addition, this power point presentation provided an estimation of potential regional and total demand for BBF. BBF included Athabasca bitumen blend, de-asphalted blend, coked sour crude oil (SCO), coked sweet SCO, hydrocracked SCO and hydrocracked/aromatic saturated SCO (HAS). Refinery prototypes included light and mixed prototypes for primary cracking units, light and heavy prototypes for primary coking units, as well as no coking, coking severe and residuum prototypes for primary hydrocracking units. The presentation included graphs depicting the natural market for Western Canadian crudes as well as U.S. crude oil production forecasts by PADD districts. It was forecasted that the market for bitumen-based feedstock in 2007 will be tight and that the potential demand for bitumen-based blends would be similar to expected production. It was also forecasted that the potential demand for SCO is not as promising relative to the expected production, unless price discounting or HAS will be available. 11 figs

Decomposition of [14C]lignocelluloses of Spartina alterniflora and a comparison with field experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, J.O.

1985-01-01

Decomposition of lignocelluloses from Spartina alterniflora in salt-marsh sediments was measured by using 14 C-labeled compounds. Rates of decomposition were fastest in the first 4 days of incubation and declined later. Lignins labeled in side chains were mineralized slightly faster than uniformly labeled lignins; 12% of the [side chain- 14 C]lignin-labeled lignocellulose was mineralized after 816 h of incubation, whereas only 8% of the [U- 14 C]lignin-labeled lignocelluloses were degraded during this period. The carbohydrate moiety within the lignocellulose complex was degraded about four times faster than the lignin moiety; after 816 h of incubation, 29 to 37% of the carbohydrate moiety had been mineralized. Changes in concentration of lignin and cellulose in litter of S. alterniflora were followed over 2 years of decay. Cellulose disappeared from litter more rapidly than lignin; 50% of the initial content of cellulose was lost after 130 days, whereas lignin required 330 to 380 days for 50% loss. The slow loss of lignin compared with other litter components resulted in a progressive enrichment of litter in lignin content. The rates of mineralization of [ 14 C]lignocelluloses in marsh sediments were similar to the rates of lignocellulose decomposition in litter on the marsh

Engineering cyanobacteria as photosynthetic feedstock factories.

Science.gov (United States)

Hays, Stephanie G; Ducat, Daniel C

2015-03-01

Carbohydrate feedstocks are at the root of bioindustrial production and are needed in greater quantities than ever due to increased prioritization of renewable fuels with reduced carbon footprints. Cyanobacteria possess a number of features that make them well suited as an alternative feedstock crop in comparison to traditional terrestrial plant species. Recent advances in genetic engineering, as well as promising preliminary investigations of cyanobacteria in a number of distinct production regimes have illustrated the potential of these aquatic phototrophs as biosynthetic chassis. Further improvements in strain productivities and design, along with enhanced understanding of photosynthetic metabolism in cyanobacteria may pave the way to translate cyanobacterial theoretical potential into realized application.

A review of conversion processes for bioethanol production with a focus on syngas fermentation

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Mamatha Devarapalli

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Bioethanol production from corn is a well-established technology. However, emphasis on exploring non-food based feedstocks is intensified due to dispute over utilization of food based feedstocks to generate bioethanol. Chemical and biological conversion technologies for non-food based biomass feedstocks to biofuels have been developed. First generation bioethanol was produced from sugar based feedstocks such as corn and sugar cane. Availability of alternative feedstocks such as lignocellulosic and algal biomass and technology advancement led to the development of complex biological conversion processes, such as separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF, simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF, consolidated bioprocessing (CBP, and syngas fermentation. SHF, SSF, SSCF, and CBP are direct fermentation processes in which biomass feedstocks are pretreated, hydrolyzed and then fermented into ethanol. Conversely, ethanol from syngas fermentation is an indirect fermentation that utilizes gaseous substrates (mixture of CO, CO2 and H2 made from industrial flue gases or gasification of biomass, coal or municipal solid waste. This review article provides an overview of the various biological processes for ethanol production from sugar, lignocellulosic, and algal biomass. This paper also provides a detailed insight on process development, bioreactor design, and advances and future directions in syngas fermentation.

Biological processes for advancing lignocellulosic waste biorefinery by advocating circular economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Liguori, Rossana; Faraco, Vincenza

2016-09-01

The actualization of a circular economy through the use of lignocellulosic wastes as renewable resources can lead to reduce the dependence from fossil-based resources and contribute to a sustainable waste management. The integrated biorefineries, exploiting the overall lignocellulosic waste components to generate fuels, chemicals and energy, are the pillar of the circular economy. The biological treatment is receiving great attention for the biorefinery development since it is considered an eco-friendly alternative to the physico-chemical strategies to increase the biobased product recovery from wastes and improve saccharification and fermentation yields. This paper reviews the last advances in the biological treatments aimed at upgrading lignocellulosic wastes, implementing the biorefinery concept and advocating circular economy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molding Properties of Inconel 718 Feedstocks Used in Low-Pressure Powder Injection Molding

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Fouad Fareh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The impact of binders and temperature on the rheological properties of feedstocks used in low-pressure powder injection molding was investigated. Experiments were conducted on different feedstock formulations obtained by mixing Inconel 718 powder with wax-based binder systems. The shear rate sensitivity index and the activation energy were used to study the degree of dependence of shear rate and temperature on the viscosity of the feedstocks. The injection performance of feedstocks was then evaluated using an analytical moldability model. The results indicated that the viscosity profiles of feedstocks depend significantly on the binder constituents, and the secondary binder constituents play an important role in the rheological behavior (pseudoplastic or near-Newtonian exhibited by the feedstock formulations. Viscosity values as low as 0.06 to 2.9 Pa·s were measured at high shear rates and high temperatures. The results indicate that a feedstock containing a surfactant agent exhibits the best moldability characteristics.

The application of biotechnology on the enhancing of biogas production from lignocellulosic waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Suzhen

2016-12-01

Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic waste is considered to be an efficient way to answer present-day energy crisis and environmental challenges. However, the recalcitrance of lignocellulosic material forms a major obstacle for obtaining maximum biogas production. The use of biological pretreatment and bioaugmentation for enhancing the performance of anaerobic digestion is quite recent and still needs to be investigated. This paper reviews the status and perspectives of recent studies on biotechnology concept and investigates its possible use for enhancing biogas production from lignocellulosic waste with main emphases on biological pretreatment and bioaugmentation techniques.

Solar assisted alkali pretreatment of garden biomass: Effects on lignocellulose degradation, enzymatic hydrolysis, crystallinity and ultra-structural changes in lignocellulose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabhane, Jagdish; William, S.P.M. Prince; Vaidya, Atul N.; Das, Sera; Wate, Satish R.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • SAAP is an efficient and economic means of pretreatment. • SAAP was found to be efficient in lignin and hemicellulose removal. • SAAP enhanced the enzymatic hydrolysis. • FTIR, XRD and SEM provided vivid understanding about the mode of action of SAAP. • Mass balance closer of 98% for pretreated GB confirmed the reliability of SAAP. - Abstract: A comprehensive study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of solar assisted alkali pretreatment (SAAP) on garden biomass (GB). The pretreatment efficiency was assessed based on lignocellulose degradation, conversion of cellulose into reducing sugars, changes in the ultra-structure and functional groups of lignocellulose and impact on the crystallinity of cellulose, etc. SAAP was found to be efficient for the removal of lignin and hemicellulose that facilitated enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. FTIR and XRD studies provided details on the effectiveness of SAAP on lignocellulosic moiety and crystallinity of cellulose. Scanning electron microscopic analysis showed ultra-structural disturbances in the microfibrils of GB as a result of pretreatment. The mass balance closer of 97.87% after pretreatment confirmed the reliability of SAAP pretreatment. Based on the results, it is concluded that SAAP is not only an efficient means of pretreatment but also economical as it involved no energy expenditure for heat generation during pretreatment

Effects of wet-pressing-induced fiber hornification on enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses

Science.gov (United States)

X.L. Luo; Junyong Zhu; Roland Gleisner; H.Y. Zhan

2011-01-01

This article reports the effect of wet-pressing-induced fiber hornification on enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses. A wet cellulosic substrate of bleached kraft eucalyptus pulp and two wet sulfite-pretreated lignocellulosic substrates of aspen and lodgepole pine were pressed to various moisture (solids) contents by variation of pressing pressure and pressing...

Pretreatments employed in lignocellulosic materials for bioethanol production: an overview

OpenAIRE

Danay Carrillo-Nieves; Lourdes Zumalacárregui-de Cárdenas; Olga Sánchez-Collazo; Georgina Michelena-Alvarez; Hector Yznaga-Blanco; José Luis Martínez-Hernández; Cristóbal Noé-Aguilar

2014-01-01

Lignocellulosic materials are raw materials with high cellulose content and they constitute the most abun- dant sources of biomass on planet. They are attractive for their low cost and high availability in diverse climates and places for the bioethanol production, however, the main impediment for its use is the appro- priate selection from the technological and economic point of view of the stages of pretreatments and hydrolysis, that allow the breaking down of the lignocellulosic matrix to o...

Analysis of Casein Biopolymers Adsorption to Lignocellulosic Biomass as a Potential Cellulase Stabilizer

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Anahita Dehkhoda Eckard

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Although lignocellulosic materials have a good potential to substitute current feedstocks used for ethanol production, conversion of these materials to fermentable sugars is still not economical through enzymatic hydrolysis. High cost of cellulase has prompted research to explore techniques that can prevent from enzyme deactivation. Colloidal proteins of casein can form monolayers on hydrophobic surfaces that alleviate the de-activation of protein of interest. Scanning electron microscope (SEM, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, capillary electrophoresis (CE, and Kjeldahl and BSA protein assays were used to investigate the unknown mechanism of action of induced cellulase activity during hydrolysis of casein-treated biomass. Adsorption of casein to biomass was observed with all of the analytical techniques used and varied depending on the pretreatment techniques of biomass. FT-IR analysis of amides I and II suggested that the substructure of protein from casein or skim milk were deformed at the time of contact with biomass. With no additive, the majority of one of the cellulase mono-component, 97.1 ± 1.1, was adsorbed to CS within 24 h, this adsorption was irreversible and increased by 2% after 72 h. However, biomass treatment with skim-milk and casein reduced the adsorption to 32.9% ± 6.0 and 82.8% ± 6.0, respectively.

Analysis of Casein Biopolymers Adsorption to Lignocellulosic Biomass as a Potential Cellulase Stabilizer

Science.gov (United States)

Eckard, Anahita Dehkhoda; Muthukumarappan, Kasiviswanathan; Gibbons, William

2012-01-01

Although lignocellulosic materials have a good potential to substitute current feedstocks used for ethanol production, conversion of these materials to fermentable sugars is still not economical through enzymatic hydrolysis. High cost of cellulase has prompted research to explore techniques that can prevent from enzyme deactivation. Colloidal proteins of casein can form monolayers on hydrophobic surfaces that alleviate the de-activation of protein of interest. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), capillary electrophoresis (CE), and Kjeldahl and BSA protein assays were used to investigate the unknown mechanism of action of induced cellulase activity during hydrolysis of casein-treated biomass. Adsorption of casein to biomass was observed with all of the analytical techniques used and varied depending on the pretreatment techniques of biomass. FT-IR analysis of amides I and II suggested that the substructure of protein from casein or skim milk were deformed at the time of contact with biomass. With no additive, the majority of one of the cellulase mono-component, 97.1 ± 1.1, was adsorbed to CS within 24 h, this adsorption was irreversible and increased by 2% after 72 h. However, biomass treatment with skim-milk and casein reduced the adsorption to 32.9% ± 6.0 and 82.8% ± 6.0, respectively. PMID:23118515

Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB): Existing Utilization and Current Trends Bio Refinery in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Rame

2018-02-01

In a future carbon-constrained global economy, the use of fossil fuels will be restricted. Biomass resources will be increased demand for renewable products. Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) can be used as lignocellulose feedstock. The production of biofuels from lignocellulose feedstock can be achieved through biochemical or thermo-chemical routes. OPEFB contain chemical blocks of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignocellulose. Due to these substances, OPEFB can be converted into bio-products and chemical. Special attention to biorefinery approach that is present at relatively high potential in bio-products such as polymers, nutraceuticals, chemical building blocks, biofuels, and bioenergy. Different utilization types were considered and reviewed, and the most common and efficient process were discussed. In general, there is no single product which could be considered a solution to the utilization of managing OPEFB - in this review a number of product are more economic, effective and environmentally friendly.

Community Structure and Succession Regulation of Fungal Consortia in the Lignocellulose-Degrading Process on Natural Biomass

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Baoyu Tian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The study aims to investigate fungal community structures and dynamic changes in forest soil lignocellulose-degrading process. rRNA gene clone libraries for the samples collected in different stages of lignocellulose degradation process were constructed and analyzed. A total of 26 representative RFLP types were obtained from original soil clone library, including Mucoromycotina (29.5%, unclassified Zygomycetes (33.5%, Ascomycota (32.4%, and Basidiomycota (4.6%. When soil accumulated with natural lignocellulose, 16 RFLP types were identified from 8-day clone library, including Basidiomycota (62.5%, Ascomycota (36.1%, and Fungi incertae sedis (1.4%. After enrichment for 15 days, identified 11 RFLP types were placed in 3 fungal groups: Basidiomycota (86.9%, Ascomycota (11.5%, and Fungi incertae sedis (1.6%. The results showed richer, more diversity and abundance fungal groups in original forest soil. With the degradation of lignocellulose, fungal groups Mucoromycotina and Ascomycota decreased gradually, and wood-rotting fungi Basidiomycota increased and replaced the opportunist fungi to become predominant group. Most of the fungal clones identified in sample were related to the reported lignocellulose-decomposing strains. Understanding of the microbial community structure and dynamic change during natural lignocellulose-degrading process will provide us with an idea and a basis to construct available commercial lignocellulosic enzymes or microbial complex.

Community structure and succession regulation of fungal consortia in the lignocellulose-degrading process on natural biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Baoyu; Wang, Chunxiang; Lv, Ruirui; Zhou, Junxiong; Li, Xin; Zheng, Yi; Jin, Xiangyu; Wang, Mengli; Ye, Yongxia; Huang, Xinyi; Liu, Ping

2014-01-01

The study aims to investigate fungal community structures and dynamic changes in forest soil lignocellulose-degrading process. rRNA gene clone libraries for the samples collected in different stages of lignocellulose degradation process were constructed and analyzed. A total of 26 representative RFLP types were obtained from original soil clone library, including Mucoromycotina (29.5%), unclassified Zygomycetes (33.5%), Ascomycota (32.4%), and Basidiomycota (4.6%). When soil accumulated with natural lignocellulose, 16 RFLP types were identified from 8-day clone library, including Basidiomycota (62.5%), Ascomycota (36.1%), and Fungi incertae sedis (1.4%). After enrichment for 15 days, identified 11 RFLP types were placed in 3 fungal groups: Basidiomycota (86.9%), Ascomycota (11.5%), and Fungi incertae sedis (1.6%). The results showed richer, more diversity and abundance fungal groups in original forest soil. With the degradation of lignocellulose, fungal groups Mucoromycotina and Ascomycota decreased gradually, and wood-rotting fungi Basidiomycota increased and replaced the opportunist fungi to become predominant group. Most of the fungal clones identified in sample were related to the reported lignocellulose-decomposing strains. Understanding of the microbial community structure and dynamic change during natural lignocellulose-degrading process will provide us with an idea and a basis to construct available commercial lignocellulosic enzymes or microbial complex.

Single-step ethanol production from lignocellulose using novel extremely thermophilic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Svetlitchnyi, Vitali A; Kensch, Oliver; Falkenhan, Doris A; Korseska, Svenja G; Lippert, Nadine; Prinz, Melanie; Sassi, Jamaleddine; Schickor, Anke; Curvers, Simon

2013-02-28

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol using thermophilic bacteria provides a promising solution for efficient lignocellulose conversion without the need for additional cellulolytic enzymes. Most studies on the thermophilic CBP concentrate on co-cultivation of the thermophilic cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum with non-cellulolytic thermophilic anaerobes at temperatures of 55°C-60°C. We have specifically screened for cellulolytic bacteria growing at temperatures >70°C to enable direct conversion of lignocellulosic materials into ethanol. Seven new strains of extremely thermophilic anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor and eight new strains of extremely thermophilic xylanolytic/saccharolytic bacteria of the genus Thermoanaerobacter isolated from environmental samples exhibited fast growth at 72°C, extensive lignocellulose degradation and high yield ethanol production on cellulose and pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. Monocultures of Caldicellulosiruptor strains degraded up to 89-97% of the cellulose and hemicellulose polymers in pretreated biomass and produced up to 72 mM ethanol on cellulose without addition of exogenous enzymes. In dual co-cultures of Caldicellulosiruptor strains with Thermoanaerobacter strains the ethanol concentrations rose 2- to 8.2-fold compared to cellulolytic monocultures. A co-culture of Caldicellulosiruptor DIB 087C and Thermoanaerobacter DIB 097X was particularly effective in the conversion of cellulose to ethanol, ethanol comprising 34.8 mol% of the total organic products. In contrast, a co-culture of Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus DSM 8903 and Thermoanaerobacter mathranii subsp. mathranii DSM 11426 produced only low amounts of ethanol. The newly discovered Caldicellulosiruptor sp. strain DIB 004C was capable of producing unexpectedly large amounts of ethanol from lignocellulose in fermentors. The established co-cultures of new Caldicellulosiruptor

Lignosulfonate and elevated pH can enhance enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang ZJ

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Nonspecific (nonproductive binding (adsorption of cellulase by lignin has been identified as a key barrier to reduce cellulase loading for economical sugar and biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. Sulfite Pretreatment to Overcome Recalcitrance of Lignocelluloses (SPORL is a relatively new process, but demonstrated robust performance for sugar and biofuel production from woody biomass especially softwoods in terms of yields and energy efficiencies. This study demonstrated the role of lignin sulfonation in enhancing enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses – lignosulfonate from SPORL can improve enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses, contrary to the conventional belief that lignin inhibits enzymatic hydrolysis due to nonspecific binding of cellulase. Results The study found that lignosulfonate from SPORL pretreatment and from a commercial source inhibits enzymatic hydrolysis of pure cellulosic substrates at low concentrations due to nonspecific binding of cellulase. Surprisingly, the reduction in enzymatic saccharification efficiency of a lignocellulosic substrate was fully recovered as the concentrations of these two lignosulfonates increased. We hypothesize that lignosulfonate serves as a surfactant to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis at higher concentrations and that this enhancement offsets its inhibitive effect from nonspecific binding of cellulase, when lignosulfonate is applied to lignocellulosic solid substrates. Lignosulfonate can block nonspecific binding of cellulase by bound lignin on the solid substrates, in the same manner as a nonionic surfactant, to significantly enhance enzymatic saccharification. This enhancement is linearly proportional to the amount of lignosulfonate applied which is very important to practical applications. For a SPORL-pretreated lodgepole pine solid, 90% cellulose saccharification was achieved at cellulase loading of 13 FPU/g glucan with the application of its

Thermophilic ethanol fermentation from lignocellulose hydrolysate by genetically engineered Moorella thermoacetica.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahayu, Farida; Kawai, Yuto; Iwasaki, Yuki; Yoshida, Koichiro; Kita, Akihisa; Tajima, Takahisa; Kato, Junichi; Murakami, Katsuji; Hoshino, Tamotsu; Nakashimada, Yutaka

2017-12-01

A transformant of Moorella thermoacetica was constructed for thermophilic ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass by deleting two phosphotransacetylase genes, pdul1 and pdul2, and introducing the native aldehyde dehydrogenase gene (aldh) controlled by the promoter from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The transformant showed tolerance to 540mM and fermented sugars including fructose, glucose, galactose and xylose to mainly ethanol. In a mixed-sugar medium of glucose and xylose, all of the sugars were consumed to produce ethanol at the yield of 1.9mol/mol-sugar. The transformant successfully fermented sugars in hydrolysate prepared through the acid hydrolysis of lignocellulose to ethanol, suggesting that this transformant can be used to ferment the sugars in lignocellulosic biomass for ethanol production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth of oleaginous Rhodotorula glutinis in an internal-loop airlift bioreactor by using lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysate as the carbon source.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Hong-Wei; Chang, Jung-Tzu

2015-05-01

The conversion of abundant lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) to valuable compounds has become a very attractive idea recently. This study successfully used LCB (rice straw) hydrolysate as a carbon source for the cultivation of oleaginous yeast-Rhodotorula glutinis in an airlift bioreactor. The lipid content of 34.3 ± 0.6% was obtained in an airlift batch with 60 g reducing sugars/L of LCB hydrolysate at a 2 vvm aeration rate. While using LCB hydrolysate as the carbon source, oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2) were the predominant fatty acids of the microbial lipids. Using LCB hydrolysate in the airlift bioreactor at 2 vvm achieved the highest cell mass growth as compared to the agitation tank. Despite the low lipid content of the batch using LCB hydrolysate, this low cost feedstock has the potential of being adopted for the production of β-carotene instead of lipid accumulation in the airlift bioreactor for the cultivation of R. glutinis. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Value of Distributed Preprocessing of Biomass Feedstocks to a Bioenergy Industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christopher T Wright

2006-07-01

Biomass preprocessing is one of the primary operations in the feedstock assembly system and the front-end of a biorefinery. Its purpose is to chop, grind, or otherwise format the biomass into a suitable feedstock for conversion to ethanol and other bioproducts. Many variables such as equipment cost and efficiency, and feedstock moisture content, particle size, bulk density, compressibility, and flowability affect the location and implementation of this unit operation. Previous conceptual designs show this operation to be located at the front-end of the biorefinery. However, data are presented that show distributed preprocessing at the field-side or in a fixed preprocessing facility can provide significant cost benefits by producing a higher value feedstock with improved handling, transporting, and merchandising potential. In addition, data supporting the preferential deconstruction of feedstock materials due to their bio-composite structure identifies the potential for significant improvements in equipment efficiencies and compositional quality upgrades. Theses data are collected from full-scale low and high capacity hammermill grinders with various screen sizes. Multiple feedstock varieties with a range of moisture values were used in the preprocessing tests. The comparative values of the different grinding configurations, feedstock varieties, and moisture levels are assessed through post-grinding analysis of the different particle fractions separated with a medium-scale forage particle separator and a Rototap separator. The results show that distributed preprocessing produces a material that has bulk flowable properties and fractionation benefits that can improve the ease of transporting, handling and conveying the material to the biorefinery and improve the biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes.

Transformation of Sorbitol to Biofuels by Heterogeneous Catalysis: Chemical and Industrial Considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilcocq, L.; Cabiac, A.; Guillon, E.; Especel, C.; Duprez, D.

2013-01-01

Decreasing oil supplies and increasing energy demand provide incentives to find alternative fuels. First, the valorisation of edible crops for ethanol and bio-diesel production led to first generation biofuels. Nowadays, research is focused on lignocellulosic biomass as a source of renewable carbon (second generation biofuels). Whereas the cellulosic ethanol production is in progress, a new way consisting of the transformation of ex-lignocellulose sugars and polyols towards light hydrocarbons by heterogeneous catalysis in aqueous phase has been recently described. This process is performed under mild conditions (T < 300 deg. C and P < 50 bar). It requires on one hand hydrogen formation by catalytic reforming of carbohydrates in aqueous phase and on the other hand, the dehydration/hydrogenation of polyols leading to alkanes by selective C-O bond cleavages. The challenge here is to conceive multifunctional catalytic systems that are stable, active and selective under the reaction conditions. The aim of this article is to present the involved reactions, the catalytic systems described in literature for that kind of transformation and examples of industrial applications. (authors)

Detailed kinetic and heat transport model for the hydrolysis of lignocellulose by anhydrous hydrogen fluoride vapor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rorrer, G.L.; Mohring, W.R.; Lamport, D.T.A.; Hawley, M.C.

1988-01-01

Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) vapor at ambient conditions efficiently and rapidly hydrolyzed lignocellulose to glucose and lignin. The unsteady-state reaction of HF vapor with a single lignocellulose chip was mathematically modeled under conditions where external and internal mass-transfer resistances were minimized. The model incorporated physical adsorption of HF vapor onto the lignocellulosic matrix and solvolysis of cellulose to glucosyl fluoride by adsorbed HF into the differential material and energy balance expressions. Model predictions for the temperature distribution and global glucose yield in the HF-reacting lignocellulose chip as a function of reaction time and HF vapor stream temperature agreed reasonably with the complimentary experimental data. The model correctly predicted that even when mass-transfer resistances for the reaction of HF vapor with a single lignocellulose chip are minimized, external and internal heat-transfer resistances are still significant.

Hydrodeoxygenation of fast-pyrolysis bio-oils from various feedstocks using carbon-supported catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

While much work has been accomplished in developing hydrodeoxygenation technologies for bio-oil upgrading, very little translation has occurred to other biomass feedstocks and feedstock processing technologies. In this paper, we sought to elucidate the relationships between the feedstock type and th...

Flow-through biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Herring, Christopher D.; Liu, Chaogang; Bardsley, John

2014-07-01

The present invention is directed to a process for biologically converting carbohydrates from lignocellulosic biomass comprising the steps of: suspending lignocellulosic biomass in a flow-through reactor, passing a reaction solution into the reactor, wherein the solution is absorbed into the biomass substrate and at least a portion of the solution migrates through said biomass substrate to a liquid reservoir, recirculating the reaction solution in the liquid reservoir at least once to be absorbed into and migrate through the biomass substrate again. The biological converting of the may involve hydrolyzing cellulose, hemicellulose, or a combination thereof to form oligosaccharides, monomelic sugars, or a combination thereof; fermenting oligosaccharides, monomelic sugars, or a combination thereof to produce ethanol, or a combination thereof. The process can further comprise removing the reaction solution and processing the solution to separate the ethanol produced from non-fermented solids.

The U.S. biodiesel use mandate and biodiesel feedstock markets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, Wyatt; Meyer, Seth; Green, Travis [University of Missouri, 101 Park deVille Drive, Suite E; Columbia, MO 65203 (United States)

2010-06-15

Studies of individual biodiesel feedstocks or broad approaches that lump animal fats and vegetable oils into a single aggregate straddle the true case of imperfect but by no means inconsequential substitution among fats and oils by different users. United States biofuel policy includes a biodiesel use mandate that rises to almost 4 hm{sup 3} by 2012, calling for biomass feedstock analysis that recognizes the complex interdependence among potential feedstocks and competition for food and industrial uses. We model biodiesel input markets to investigate the implications of the mandate for quantities and prices with and without a provision disallowing biodiesel made from soybean oil. Findings suggest a hierarchy of price effects that tends to be largest for cheaper fats and oils typically used for industrial and feed purposes and smallest for fats and oils traditionally used exclusively for direct consumption, with the cross-commodity effects and other key economic parameters playing a critical part in determining the scale in each case. Although sensitive to the exact parameters used, our results argue against overly simplifying feedstock markets by holding prices constant when considering the economics of a particular feedstock or if estimating the broader impacts of rising biodiesel production on competing uses. (author)

Flow-through pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass with inorganic nanoporous membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhave, Ramesh R.; Lynd, Lee; Shao, Xiongjun

2018-04-03

A process for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is provided. The process generally includes flowing water through a pretreatment reactor containing a bed of particulate ligno-cellulosic biomass to produce a pressurized, high-temperature hydrolyzate exit stream, separating solubilized compounds from the hydrolyzate exit stream using an inorganic nanoporous membrane element, fractionating the retentate enriched in solubilized organic components and recycling the permeate to the pretreatment reactor. The pretreatment process provides solubilized organics in concentrated form for the subsequent conversion into biofuels and other chemicals.

High quality transportation fuels from renewable feedstock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindfors, Lars Peter

2010-09-15

Hydrotreating of vegetable oils is novel process for producing high quality renewable diesel. Hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO) are paraffinic hydrocarbons. They are free of aromatics, have high cetane numbers and reduce emissions. HVO can be used as component or as such. HVO processes can also be modified to produce jet fuel. GHG savings by HVO use are significant compared to fossil fuels. HVO is already in commercial production. Neste Oil is producing its NExBTL diesel in two plants. Production of renewable fuels will be limited by availability of sustainable feedstock. Therefore R and D efforts are made to expand feedstock base further.

Preparation, characterization, and microbial degradation of specifically radiolabeled [14C]lignocelluloses from marine and fresh water macrophytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benner, R.; Maccubbin, A.E.; Hodson, R.E.

1984-01-01

Specifically radiolabeled [ 14 C-lignin]lignocelluloses were prepared from the aquatic macrophytes Spartina alterniflora, Juncus roemerianus, Rhizophora mangle, and Carex walteriana by using [ 14 C]phenylalanine, [ 14 C]tyrosine, and [ 14 C]cinnamic acid as precursors. Specifically radiolabeled [ 14 C-polysaccharide]lignocelluloses were prepared by using [ 14 C]glucose as precursor. The rates of microbial degradation varied among [ 14 C-lignin]lignocelluloses labeled with different lignin precursors within the same plant species. In herbaceous plants, significant amounts (8 to 24%) of radioactivity from [ 14 C]phenylalanine and [ 14 C]tyrosine were found associated with protein. Microbial degradation of radiolabeled protein resulted in overestimation of lignin degradation rates in lignocelluloses derived from herbaceous aquatic plants. Other differences in degradation rates among [ 14 C-lignin]lignocelluloses from the same plant species were attributable to differences in the amount of label being associated with ester-linked subunits of peripheral lignin. After acid hydrolysis of [ 14 C-polysaccharide]lignocelluloses, radioactivity was detected in several sugars, although most of the radioactivity was distributed between glucose and xylose. After 576 h of incubation with salt marsh sediments, 38% of the polysaccharide component and between 6 and 16% of the lignin component (depending on the precursor) of J. roemerianus lignocellulose was mineralized to 14 CO 2 ; during the same incubation period, 30% of the polysaccharide component and between 12 and 18% of the lignin component of S. alterniflora lignocellulose was mineralized

Properties of various plants and animals feedstocks for biodiesel production.

Science.gov (United States)

Karmakar, Aninidita; Karmakar, Subrata; Mukherjee, Souti

2010-10-01

As an alternative fuel biodiesel is becoming increasingly important due to diminishing petroleum reserves and adverse environmental consequences of exhaust gases from petroleum-fuelled engines. Biodiesel, the non-toxic fuel, is mono alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from renewable feedstock like vegetable oils, animal fats and residual oils. Choice of feedstocks depends on process chemistry, physical and chemical characteristics of virgin or used oils and economy of the process. Extensive research information is available on transesterification, the production technology and process optimization for various biomaterials. Consistent supply of feedstocks is being faced as a major challenge by the biodiesel production industry. This paper reviews physico-chemical properties of the plant and animal resources that are being used as feedstocks for biodiesel production. Efforts have also been made to review the potential resources that can be transformed into biodiesel successfully for meeting the ever increasing demand of biodiesel production. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2009 Feedstocks Platform Review Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrell, John [Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States)

2009-12-01

This document summarizes the recommendations and evaluations provided by an independent external panel of experts at the U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Program‘s Feedstock platform review meeting, held on April 8–10, 2009, at the Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, D.C.

2G ethanol from the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Sandra Cerqueira; Maehara, Larissa; Machado, Cristina Maria Monteiro; Farinas, Cristiane Sanchez

2015-01-01

In the sugarcane industry, large amounts of lignocellulosic residues are generated, which includes bagasse, straw, and tops. The use of the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass for the production of second-generation (2G) ethanol can be a potential alternative to contribute to the economic viability of this process. Here, we conducted a systematic comparative study of the use of the lignocellulosic residues from the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass (bagasse, straw, and tops) from commercial sugarcane varieties for the production of 2G ethanol. In addition, the feasibility of using a mixture of these residues from a selected variety was also investigated. The materials were pretreated with dilute acid and hydrolyzed with a commercial enzymatic preparation, after which the hydrolysates were fermented using an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The susceptibility to enzymatic saccharification was higher for the tops, followed by straw and bagasse. Interestingly, the fermentability of the hydrolysates showed a different profile, with straw achieving the highest ethanol yields, followed by tops and bagasse. Using a mixture of the different sugarcane parts (bagasse-straw-tops, 1:1:1, in a dry-weight basis), it was possible to achieve a 55% higher enzymatic conversion and a 25% higher ethanol yield, compared to use of the bagasse alone. For the four commercial sugarcane varieties evaluated using the same experimental set of conditions, it was found that the variety of sugarcane was not a significant factor in the 2G ethanol production process. Assessment of use of the whole lignocellulosic sugarcane biomass clearly showed that 2G ethanol production could be significantly improved by the combined use of bagasse, straw, and tops, when compared to the use of bagasse alone. The lower susceptibility to saccharification of sugarcane bagasse, as well as the lower fermentability of its hydrolysates, can be compensated by using it in combination with straw

Lignocellulose fermentation and residual solids characterization for senescent switchgrass fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum in the presence and absence of continuous in situ ball-milling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balch, Michael L.; Holwerda, Evert K.; Davis, Mark F.; Sykes, Robert W.; Happs, Renee M.; Kumar, Rajeev; Wyman, Charles E.; Lynd, Lee R.

2017-04-12

Milling during lignocellulosic fermentation, henceforth referred to as cotreatment, is investigated as an alternative to thermochemical pretreatment as a means of enhancing biological solubilization of lignocellulose. We investigate the impact of milling on soluble substrate fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum with comparison to yeast, document solubilization for fermentation of senescent switchgrass with and without ball milling, and characterize residual solids. Soluble substrate fermentation by C. thermocellum proceeded readily in the presence of continuous ball milling but was completely arrested for yeast. Total fractional carbohydrate solubilization achieved after fermentation of senescent switchgrass by C. thermocellum for 5 days was 0.45 without cotreatment or pretreatment, 0.81 with hydrothermal pretreatment (200 degrees C, 15 minutes, severity 4.2), and 0.88 with cotreatment. Acetate and ethanol were the main fermentation products, and were produced at similar ratios with and without cotreatment. Analysis of solid residues was undertaken using molecular beam mass spectrometry (PyMBMS) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in order to provide insight into changes in plant cell walls during processing via various modes. The structure of lignin present in residual solids remaining after fermentation with cotreatment appeared to change little, with substantially greater changes observed for hydrothermal pretreatment - particularly with respect to formation of C-C bonds. The observation of high solubilization with little apparent modification of the residue is consistent with cotreatment enhancing solubilization primarily by increasing the access of saccharolytic enzymes to the feedstock, and C. thermocellum being able to attack all the major linkages in cellulosic biomass provided that these linkages are accessible.

Pyrolysis based bio-refinery for the production of bioethanol from demineralized ligno-cellulosic biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luque, L.; Westerhof, Roel Johannes Maria; van Rossum, G.; Oudenhoven, Stijn; Kersten, Sascha R.A.; Berruti, F.; Rehmann, L.

2014-01-01

This paper evaluates a novel biorefinery approach for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass from pinewood. A combination of thermochemical and biochemical conversion was chosen with the main product being ethanol. Fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomasss with fractional condensation of the

Factors affecting seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic date palm residues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fang, Chuanji; Thomsen, Mette Hedegaard; Frankaer, Christian Grundahl

2017-01-01

Seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is an innovative process at research stage. With respect to process optimization, factors affecting seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic date palm residues were studied for the first time in this paper. Pretreatment temperature (180...... °C–210 °C), salinity of seawater (0 ppt–50 ppt), and catalysts (H2SO4, Na2CO3, and NaOH) were investigated. The results showed that pretreatment temperature exerted the largest influence on seawater-based pretreatment in terms of the enzymatic digestibility and fermentability of pretreated solids...

Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB: Existing Utilization and Current Trends Bio Refinery in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rame

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In a future carbon-constrained global economy, the use of fossil fuels will be restricted. Biomass resources will be increased demand for renewable products. Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB can be used as lignocellulose feedstock. The production of biofuels from lignocellulose feedstock can be achieved through biochemical or thermo-chemical routes. OPEFB contain chemical blocks of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignocellulose. Due to these substances, OPEFB can be converted into bio-products and chemical. Special attention to biorefinery approach that is present at relatively high potential in bio-products such as polymers, nutraceuticals, chemical building blocks, biofuels, and bioenergy. Different utilization types were considered and reviewed, and the most common and efficient process were discussed. In general, there is no single product which could be considered a solution to the utilization of managing OPEFB – in this review a number of product are more economic, effective and environmentally friendly.

Lignocellulose fractionation into furfural and glucose by AlCl3-catalyzed DES/MIBK biphasic pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhi-Kun; Shen, Xiao-Jun; Chen, Jun-Jie; Jiang, Ying-Qiu; Hu, Zhi-Yan; Wang, Xing; Liu, Li

2018-06-01

Herein, an efficient DES/MIBK biphasic pretreatment system for preparation of furfural and fermentable glucose from lignocellulose was developed with AlCl 3 as catalysis. The low-cost and renewable DES (Choline chloride-Oxalic acid) served not only as a Brønsted acid catalyst, but also as a pretreatment solvent in present work, and MIBK as an extracting reagent which can increase the yield of furfural in DES phase. The effects of this biphasic pretreatment on the furfural yield and saccharification of the lignocellulose before and after pretreatment were explored using HPLC, HAPEC, FT-IR, XRD and SEM. Under the best pretreatment condition (at 140 °C for 90 min), furfural could be obtained in 70.3% yield and 80.8% of the pretreated lignocellulose was saccharified, which was 8.4 times higher than that of the raw lignocellulose without pretreatment. In a word, this pretreatment system can be considered as a potential technique for efficient valorization of lignocellulose for production of furfural and fermentable glucose. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cellulase activity and dissolved organic carbon release from lignocellulose macrophyte-derived in four trophic conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávia Bottino

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Considering the importance of lignocellulose macrophyte-derived for the energy flux in aquatic ecosystems and the nutrient concentrations as a function of force which influences the decomposition process, this study aims to relate the enzymatic activity and lignocellulose hydrolysis in different trophic statuses. Water samples and two macrophyte species were collected from the littoral zone of a subtropical Brazilian Reservoir. A lignocellulosic matrix was obtained using aqueous extraction of dried plant material (≈40 °C. Incubations for decomposition of the lignocellulosic matrix were prepared using lignocelluloses, inoculums and filtered water simulating different trophic statuses with the same N:P ratio. The particulate organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC, respectively were quantified, the cellulase enzymatic activity was measured by releasing reducing sugars and immobilized carbon was analyzed by filtration. During the cellulose degradation indicated by the cellulase activity, the dissolved organic carbon daily rate and enzyme activity increased. It was related to a fast hydrolysable fraction of cellulose that contributed to short-term carbon immobilization (ca. 10 days. After approximately 20 days, the dissolved organic carbon and enzyme activity were inversely correlated suggesting that the respiration of microorganisms was responsible for carbon mineralization. Cellulose was an important resource in low nutrient conditions (oligotrophic. However, the detritus quality played a major role in the lignocelluloses degradation (i.e., enzyme activity and carbon release.

Lignocellulosic Biobutanol as Fuel for Diesel Engines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Pexa

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Energy recovery of lignocellulosic waste material in the form of liquid fractions can yield alcohol-based fuels such as bioethanol or biobutanol. This study examined biobutanol derived from lignocellulosic material that was then used as an additive for diesel engines. Biobutanol was used in fuel mixtures with fatty acid methyl ester (FAME obtained by esterification of animal fat (also a waste material in the amounts of 10%, 30%, and 50% butanol. 100% diesel and 100% FAME were used as reference fuels. The evaluation concerned the fuel’s effect on the external speed characteristics, harmful exhaust emissions, and fuel consumption while using the Non-Road Steady Cycle test. When the percentage of butanol was increased, the torque and the power decreased and the brake specific fuel consumption increased. The main advantage of using biobutanol in fuel was its positive effect on reducing the fuel’s viscosity.

Fungal delignification of lignocellulosic biomass improves the saccharification of cellulosics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Rishi; Mehta, Girija; Khasa, Yogender Pal; Kuhad, Ramesh Chander

2011-07-01

The biological delignification of lignocellulosic feedstocks, Prosopis juliflora and Lantana camara was carried out with Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, a white rot fungus, at different scales under solid-state fermentation (SSF) and the fungal treated substrates were evaluated for their acid and enzymatic saccharification. The fungal fermentation at 10.0 g substrate level optimally delignified the P. juliflora by 11.89% and L. camara by 8.36%, and enriched their holocellulose content by 3.32 and 4.87%, respectively, after 15 days. The fungal delignification when scaled up from 10.0 g to 75.0, 200.0 and 500.0 g substrate level, the fungus degraded about 7.69-10.08% lignin in P. juliflora and 6.89-7.31% in L. camara, and eventually enhanced the holocellulose content by 2.90-3.97 and 4.25-4.61%, respectively. Furthermore, when the fungal fermented L. camara and P. juliflora was hydrolysed with dilute sulphuric acid, the sugar release was increased by 21.4-42.4% and the phenolics content in hydrolysate was decreased by 18.46 and 19.88%, as compared to the unfermented substrate acid hydrolysis, respectively. The reduction of phenolics in acid hydrolysates of fungal treated substrates decreased the amount of detoxifying material (activated charcoal) by 25.0-33.0% as compared to the amount required to reduce almost the same level of phenolics from unfermented substrate hydrolysates. Moreover, an increment of 21.1-25.1% sugar release was obtained when fungal treated substrates were enzymatically hydrolysed as compared to the hydrolysis of unfermented substrates. This study clearly shows that fungal delignification holds potential in utilizing plant residues for the production of sugars and biofuels.

Macroalgae as a Biomass Feedstock: A Preliminary Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roesijadi, Guritno; Jones, Susanne B.; Snowden-Swan, Lesley J.; Zhu, Yunhua

2010-09-26

A thorough of macroalgae analysis as a biofuels feedstock is warranted due to the size of this biomass resource and the need to consider all potential sources of feedstock to meet current biomass production goals. Understanding how to harness this untapped biomass resource will require additional research and development. A detailed assessment of environmental resources, cultivation and harvesting technology, conversion to fuels, connectivity with existing energy supply chains, and the associated economic and life cycle analyses will facilitate evaluation of this potentially important biomass resource.

Markets for Canadian bitumen-based feedstock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, R.; Lauerman, V.; Yamaguchi, N.

2001-02-01

This study was undertaken in an effort to determine the market potential for crude bitumen and derivative products from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in 2007. As part of the study, CERI assessed the economic viability of a wide range of bitumen-based feedstock based on their refining values, investigated the sensitivity of refinery demand to the prices of these feedstocks, and examined the competitiveness of bitumen-based feedstocks and conventional crudes. A US$18.00 per barrel price for West Texas Intermediate at Cushing, Oklahoma, was assumed in all calculations, including other crude prices, as well as for Western Canadian and US crude oil production forecasts. Four different scenarios have been considered, but only the 'most plausible' scenario is discussed in the report. Consequently, Hydrocracked/Aromatics Saturated Synthetic Crude Oil, which is currently only a hypothetical product, is excluded from consideration. The availability of historical price differentials for the various competing crudes was another assumption used in developing the scenario. Proxy prices for the bitumen-based feedstock were based on their respective supply costs. The study concludes that the principal dilemma facing bitumen producers in Western Canada is to determine the amount of upgrading necessary to ensure an economic market for their product in the future. In general, the greater the degree of upgrading, the higher is the demand for bitumen-based feedstock. However, it must be kept in mind that the upgrading decisions of other bitumen producers, along with many other factors, will have a decisive impact on the economics of any individual project. The combination of coking capacity and asphalt demand limits the market for heavy and extra-heavy crudes. As a result, the researchers concluded that major expansion of heavy crude conversion capacity may have to wait until the end of the current decade. The economic market for bitumen-based blends in 2007 is estimated at

Study of the formation of polyethylene composites and lignocellulose materials by means of irradiation and extrusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azevedo, Marcos Bertrand de; Romero, Guillermo R.; Gonzalez, Maria Elisa; Smolko, Eduardo E.

2000-01-01

One of the greatest opportunities for using of biomass as a precursor in the production of polymeric materials is the lignocellulose composites that can combine high performance with low costs. This work is a initial study on the production of a lignocellulose reinforced polyethylene composite. A compatibilization made by a induced gamma radiation grafting reaction was used to increase the adhesion between the matrix and the reinforced or filled fibers. The lignocellulose materials were exposed to gamma radiation in order to promote a molecular degradation and increase its reactivity. The polymer, the lignocellulose material and the compatibilization were processed by extrusion and the composite produced by this process were characterized by mechanical tests. (author)

Ionic liquid-facilitated preparation of lignocellulosic composites

Science.gov (United States)

Lignocellulosic composites (LCs) were prepared by partially dissolving cotton along with steam exploded Aspen wood and burlap fabric reinforcements utilizing an ionic liquid (IL) solvent. Two methods of preparation were employed. In the first method, a controlled amount of IL was added to preassembl...

Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using Fenton chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Pretreatment is a necessary step in “biomass to biofuel conversion” due to the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulosic biomass. White-rot fungi utilize peroxidases and hydrogen peroxide (in vivo Fenton chemistry) to degrade lignin. In an attempt to mimic this process, solution phase Fenton chemistry ...

Lignocellulosic enzymes from Flavodon flavus, a fungus isolated ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-09-03

Sep 3, 2008 ... es have been shown to degrade not only lignocellulose, but also recalcitrant .... Decolorization of the supernatant was detected by UV spectropho- ... cia, Sweden) packed with polystyrene matrix with quaternary ammonium ...

Methanol as an alternative electron donor in chain elongation for butyrate and caproate formation

OpenAIRE

Chen, W.S.; Ye, Y.; Steinbusch, K.J.J.; Strik, D.P.B.T.B.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2016-01-01

Chain elongation is an emerging mixed culture biotechnology converting acetate into valuable biochemicals by using ethanol as an external electron donor. In this study we proposed to test another potential electron donor, methanol, in chain elongation. Methanol can be produced through the thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biowaste. Use of methanol in chain elongation integrates the lignocellulosic feedstocks and the thermochemical platform technologies into chain elongation. After ...

More valuable as petrochemical feedstock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramachandran, R.

2005-01-01

The problems facing the North American petrochemical industry were discussed with particular reference to the fact that high North American prices present a challenge to competitiveness in a globally traded market. A background of Dow Canada was provided, including details of its upgrading of natural gas liquids that would otherwise be combusted for electrical power generation. The value of the petrochemical industry was outlined, with details of employment, manufacturing output and exports. Alberta's relationship to the natural gas industry was reviewed. The role of petrochemicals as a nexus for bridging the resource sector with manufacturing, retail and transportation was discussed. The historic correlation between world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and ethylene demand was presented. It was noted that the petrochemical industry currently competes with power generators for smaller volumes of natural gas liquids. As a highly energy intensive industry, inequities in gas pipeline haul charges and even small increases in gas prices has compromised the success of the petrochemical industry. It was noted that while crude oil is a globally traded commodity, natural gas liquids are generally traded at a more localized level, and factors that helped build the petrochemical industry and are now inhibiting growth. Ethane is the primary feedstock in the petrochemical industry. High natural gas prices affected the industry on two levels: volatility in a weakening industry and higher prices on primary feedstocks. It was estimated that changes in current trends were likely to take place in 5 to 10 years, following Northern gas developments. It was estimated that more than 50 per cent of new capacity investment in ethylene plants would take place in the Middle East in the next 5 years. No new plants are planned in Canada. It was concluded that low-cost feedstock advantages, as well as alternative feedstocks and the sustainment of a healthy industry are necessary for the

High-throughput microplate technique for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Chundawat, Shishir P S; Balan, Venkatesh; Dale, Bruce E

2008-04-15

Several factors will influence the viability of a biochemical platform for manufacturing lignocellulosic based fuels and chemicals, for example, genetically engineering energy crops, reducing pre-treatment severity, and minimizing enzyme loading. Past research on biomass conversion has focused largely on acid based pre-treatment technologies that fractionate lignin and hemicellulose from cellulose. However, for alkaline based (e.g., AFEX) and other lower severity pre-treatments it becomes critical to co-hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose using an optimized enzyme cocktail. Lignocellulosics are appropriate substrates to assess hydrolytic activity of enzyme mixtures compared to conventional unrealistic substrates (e.g., filter paper, chromogenic, and fluorigenic compounds) for studying synergistic hydrolysis. However, there are few, if any, high-throughput lignocellulosic digestibility analytical platforms for optimizing biomass conversion. The 96-well Biomass Conversion Research Lab (BCRL) microplate method is a high-throughput assay to study digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass as a function of biomass composition, pre-treatment severity, and enzyme composition. The most suitable method for delivering milled biomass to the microplate was through multi-pipetting slurry suspensions. A rapid bio-enzymatic, spectrophotometric assay was used to determine fermentable sugars. The entire procedure was automated using a robotic pipetting workstation. Several parameters that affect hydrolysis in the microplate were studied and optimized (i.e., particle size reduction, slurry solids concentration, glucan loading, mass transfer issues, and time period for hydrolysis). The microplate method was optimized for crystalline cellulose (Avicel) and ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pre-treated corn stover. Copyright 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heterogeneous catalysis and the challenges of powering the planet, securing chemicals for civilised life, and clean efficient utilization of renewable feedstocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, John Meurig

2014-07-01

This article reviews, first, the prospects, practices and principles of generating solar fuels. It does so with an analysis of recent progress in the light-driven emission of H2 (and other fuels) as well as O2 from water. To place this challenge in perspective, some current practices entailing the use of well-proven solid catalysts developed for fossil-based feedstocks, are described. The massive differences between proven methods of generating fuel and chemicals from non-renewable and from solar radiation are emphasized with the aid of numerous quantitative examples. Whilst it is acknowledged that a key action in reducing the liberation of greenhouse gases (GHG) is to tackle the challenge of decreasing their evolution in power generation and in the production of steel, aluminium and other bulk commodities (metals, alloys, concrete and ceramics), nevertheless much can be done to diminish the emission of CO2 (and to use it as feedstock) through the agency of new, designed solid catalysts and microalgae. Solar-thermal converters are also attractive alternatives, even though they are more likely to be used centrally rather than in small modular units like 'artificial leaves,' some of which are promising for the purposes of generating energy (and perhaps fuel) in a delocalized, modular manner. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Qualitative and kinetic analysis of torrefaction of lignocellulosic biomass using DSC-TGA-FTIR

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Bimal Acharya

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Torrefaction is a thermochemical conversion technique to improve the fuel properties of lignocellulosic biomass by treating at temperature 200 ℃-300 ℃ in the minimum oxygen environment for a reasonable residence time. In this study, thermal decomposition and thermal activities of miscanthus and wheat straw during the torrefaction at 200 ℃, 275 ℃, and 300 ℃ in a nitrogen environment for 45 minutes of residence time are analyzed in a simultaneous thermogravimetric analyzer (micro TGA with a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and a macro-TGA. The output of the micro TGA is fed into the Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR and qualitative analysis of the gaseous product is carried out. The composition of different gas products during the torrefaction of biomass are compared critically and kinetics were analyzed. It is found that the weight loss due to degradation of initial biomass in second stage (torrefaction process is a much faster conversion process than the weight loss process in the first stage (drying process. The weight loss of biomass increases with increase in the residence time and torrefaction treatment temperatures. The yield after torrefaction is a solid bio-coal product. The torrefied product were less reactive and has nearly 25% better heating value than the raw biomass. Between the two feedstocks studied, torrefied miscanthus proved to be a more stable fuel than the torrefied wheat straw. The major gaseous components observed during torrefaction are water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, 1,2-Dibromethylene.

Lignocellulosic ethanol production by starch-base industrial yeast under PEG detoxification

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiumei; Xu, Wenjuan; Mao, Liaoyuan; Zhang, Chao; Yan, Peifang; Xu, Zhanwei; Zhang, Z. Conrad

2016-02-01

Cellulosic ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass offers a sustainable solution for transition from fossil based fuels to renewable alternatives. However, a few long-standing technical challenges remain to be addressed in the development of an economically viable fermentation process from lignocellulose. Such challenges include the needs to improve yeast tolerance to toxic inhibitory compounds and to achieve high fermentation efficiency with minimum detoxification steps after a simple biomass pretreatment. Here we report an in-situ detoxification strategy by PEG exo-protection of an industrial dry yeast (starch-base). The exo-protected yeast cells displayed remarkably boosted vitality with high tolerance to toxic inhibitory compounds, and with largely improved ethanol productivity from crude hydrolysate derived from a pretreated lignocellulose. The PEG chemical exo-protection makes the industrial S. cerevisiae yeast directly applicable for the production of cellulosic ethanol with substantially improved productivity and yield, without of the need to use genetically modified microorganisms.

MULTIVARIATE TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO EVALUATION OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC RESIDUES FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thiago de Paula Protásio

2013-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509812361The evaluation of lignocellulosic wastes for bioenergy production demands to consider several characteristicsand properties that may be correlated. This fact demands the use of various multivariate analysis techniquesthat allow the evaluation of relevant energetic factors. This work aimed to apply cluster analysis and principalcomponents analyses for the selection and evaluation of lignocellulosic wastes for bioenergy production.8 types of residual biomass were used, whose the elemental components (C, H, O, N, S content, lignin, totalextractives and ashes contents, basic density and higher and lower heating values were determined. Bothmultivariate techniques applied for evaluation and selection of lignocellulosic wastes were efficient andsimilarities were observed between the biomass groups formed by them. Through the interpretation of thefirst principal component obtained, it was possible to create a global development index for the evaluationof the viability of energetic uses of biomass. The interpretation of the second principal component alloweda contrast between nitrogen and sulfur contents with oxygen content.

Biodegradation of lignocellulosic materials: Present status and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrison, I.M.; Brice, R.E.; Mousdale, S.A.

1989-01-01

The biodegradation of lignocellulosic material depends on the source and prior treatment of the substrate. As the composition of the substrate influences the mode of degradation, a resume of the structure of cell wall components is given. This shows the relationship between cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin and the other non-carbohydrate components and how they are arranged within the wall architecture. A summary is given of the different types of enzymes which can attack lignocellulosics, some limitations on their use, and how they can be influenced by other methods of pretreatment. The role of different types of microorganisms is discussed and the paper concludes with some results from work by the authors. (author). 37 refs, 4 figs

Cellulase activity and dissolved organic carbon release from lignocellulose macrophyte-derived in four trophic conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bottino, Flávia; Cunha-Santino, Marcela Bianchessi; Bianchini, Irineu

2016-01-01

Considering the importance of lignocellulose macrophyte-derived for the energy flux in aquatic ecosystems and the nutrient concentrations as a function of force which influences the decomposition process, this study aims to relate the enzymatic activity and lignocellulose hydrolysis in different trophic statuses. Water samples and two macrophyte species were collected from the littoral zone of a subtropical Brazilian Reservoir. A lignocellulosic matrix was obtained using aqueous extraction of dried plant material (≈40°C). Incubations for decomposition of the lignocellulosic matrix were prepared using lignocelluloses, inoculums and filtered water simulating different trophic statuses with the same N:P ratio. The particulate organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC, respectively) were quantified, the cellulase enzymatic activity was measured by releasing reducing sugars and immobilized carbon was analyzed by filtration. During the cellulose degradation indicated by the cellulase activity, the dissolved organic carbon daily rate and enzyme activity increased. It was related to a fast hydrolysable fraction of cellulose that contributed to short-term carbon immobilization (ca. 10 days). After approximately 20 days, the dissolved organic carbon and enzyme activity were inversely correlated suggesting that the respiration of microorganisms was responsible for carbon mineralization. Cellulose was an important resource in low nutrient conditions (oligotrophic). However, the detritus quality played a major role in the lignocelluloses degradation (i.e., enzyme activity) and carbon release. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Best practices guidelines for managing water in bioenergy feedstock production

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel G. Neary

2015-01-01

In the quest to develop renewable energy sources, woody and agricultural crops are being viewed as an important source of low environmental impact feedstocks for electrical generation and biofuels production (Hall and Scrase 1998, Eriksson et al. 2002, Somerville et al. 2010, Berndes and Smith 2013). In countries like the USA, the bioenergy feedstock potential is...

Processing of low-quality bauxite feedstock by thermochemistry-Bayer method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

О. А. Дубовиков

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The modern production of aluminum which by its global output ranks first among the non-ferrous metals includes three main stages: ore extraction, its processing into alumina and, finally, the production of primary aluminum. Alumina production from bauxites,  being the  primary raw material in the  alumina industry,  is based  on two main methods: the Bayer method and the sintering method developed in Russia under the lead of an academician Nikolay Semenovich Kurnakov. Alumina production by the Bayer’s method is more cost effective,  but  has  higher  requirements to the  quality of the bauxite feedstock.  A great deal  of research has  been carried  out on low quality bauxites focusing firstly on finding ways to enrich the feedstock, secondly on improving the combined sequential Bayer-sintering method and thirdly on developing new hydrometallurgical ways for bauxites processing. Mechanical methods of bauxite enrichment have not yet brought any positive outcome, and a development of new hydrometallurgical high alkaline  autoclave process  faced  significant hardware  difficulties not addressed so far. For efficient processing of such low quality bauxite feedstock it is suggested to use a universal thermochemistry-Bayer method, which was developed in St. Petersburg Mining University under  the lead  of  Nikolay Ivanovich Eremin, allows to process different substandard bauxite feedstock and has a competitive costing as compared to the sintering method and combined methods. The main stages of thermochemistry-Bayer method are thermal activation of feedstock, its further desiliconization with the alkaline solution and leaching of the resultant bauxite product  under Bayer’s method. Despite high energy consumption at  the baking stage,  it  allows to condition the  low quality bauxite feedstock by neutralizing a variety of technologically harmful impurities such as organic matter, sulfide sulfur, carbonates, and at the

Lignosulfonate To Enhance Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocelluloses: Role of Molecular Weight and Substrate Lignin

Science.gov (United States)

Haifeng Zhou; Hongming Lou; Dongjie Yang; J.Y. Zhu; Xueqing Qiu

2013-01-01

This study conducted an investigation of the effect of lignosulfonate (LS) on enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses. Two commercial LSs and one laboratory sulfonated kraft lignin were applied to Whatman paper, dilute acid and SPORL (sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocelluloses) pretreated aspen, and kraft alkaline and SPORL pretreated...

Assessing Potential Air Pollutant Emissions from Agricultural Feedstock Production using MOVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eberle, Annika [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Warner, Ethan [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Zhang, Yi Min [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Inman, Daniel J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Carpenter Petri, Alberta C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Heath, Garvin A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hettinger, Dylan J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bhatt, Arpit H [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2018-03-29

Biomass feedstock production is expected to grow as demand for biofuels and bioenergy increases. The change in air pollutant emissions that may result from large-scale biomass supply has implications for local air quality and human health. We developed spatially explicit emissions inventories for corn grain and six cellulosic feedstocks through the extension of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Feedstock Production Emissions to Air Model (FPEAM). These inventories include emissions of seven pollutants (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur oxides, and carbon monoxide) generated from biomass establishment, maintenance, harvest, transportation, and biofuel preprocessing activities. By integrating the EPA's MOtor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) into FPEAM, we created a scalable framework to execute county-level runs of the MOVES-Onroad model for representative counties (i.e., those counties with the largest amount of cellulosic feedstock production in each state) on a national scale. We used these results to estimate emissions from the on-road transportation of biomass and combined them with county-level runs of the MOVES-Nonroad model to estimate emissions from agricultural equipment. We also incorporated documented emission factors to estimate emissions from chemical application and the operation of drying equipment for feedstock processing, and used methods developed by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board to estimate fugitive dust emissions. The model developed here could be applied to custom equipment budgets and is extensible to accommodate additional feedstocks and pollutants. Future work will also extend this model to analyze spatial boundaries beyond the county-scale (e.g., regional or sub-county levels).

Feeding a sustainable chemical industry: do we have the bioproducts cart before the feedstocks horse?

Science.gov (United States)

Dale, Bruce E

2017-09-21

A sustainable chemical industry cannot exist at scale without both sustainable feedstocks and feedstock supply chains to provide the raw materials. However, most current research focus is on producing the sustainable chemicals and materials. Little attention is given to how and by whom sustainable feedstocks will be supplied. In effect, we have put the bioproducts cart before the sustainable feedstocks horse. For example, bulky, unstable, non-commodity feedstocks such as crop residues probably cannot supply a large-scale sustainable industry. Likewise, those who manage land to produce feedstocks must benefit significantly from feedstock production, otherwise they will not participate in this industry and it will never grow. However, given real markets that properly reward farmers, demand for sustainable bioproducts and bioenergy can drive the adoption of more sustainable agricultural and forestry practices, providing many societal "win-win" opportunities. Three case studies are presented to show how this "win-win" process might unfold.

Enzymatic pre-treatment of high content cellulosic feedstock improves biogas production

Science.gov (United States)

Animal wastes with high lignin and cellulosic contents can serve as the feedstock for biogas production (mainly methane) that could be used as alternative energy source. However, these high lignin and cellulosic feedstocks are quite recalcitrant to be readily utilized by methanogens to produce ben...

Organic solvent pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuels and biochemicals: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ke; Pei, Zhijian; Wang, Donghai

2016-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass represents the largest potential volume and lowest cost for biofuel and biochemical production. Pretreatment is an essential component of biomass conversion process, affecting a majority of downstream processes, including enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and final product separation. Organic solvent pretreatment is recognized as an emerging way ahead because of its inherent advantages, such as the ability to fractionate lignocellulosic biomass into cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose components with high purity, as well as easy solvent recovery and solvent reuse. Objectives of this review were to update and extend previous works on pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuels and biochemicals using organic solvents, especially on ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, acetic acid, and formic acid. Perspectives and recommendations were given to fully describe implementation of proper organic solvent pretreatment for future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physico-Chemical Alternatives in Lignocellulosic Materials in Relation to the Kind of Component for Fermenting Purposes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Coz

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The complete bioconversion of the carbohydrate fraction is of great importance for a lignocellulosic-based biorefinery. However, due to the structure of the lignocellulosic materials, and depending basically on the main parameters within the pretreatment steps, numerous byproducts are generated and they act as inhibitors in the fermentation operations. In this sense, the impact of inhibitory compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials is one of the major challenges for a sustainable biomass-to-biofuel and -bioproduct industry. In order to minimise the negative effects of these compounds, numerous methodologies have been tested including physical, chemical, and biological processes. The main physical and chemical treatments have been studied in this work in relation to the lignocellulosic material and the inhibitor in order to point out the best mechanisms for fermenting purposes. In addition, special attention has been made in the case of lignocellulosic hydrolysates obtained by chemical processes with SO2, due to the complex matrix of these materials and the increase in these methodologies in future biorefinery markets. Recommendations of different detoxification methods have been given.

Why did the price of solar PV Si feedstock fluctuate so wildly in 2004–2009?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Yang; Song Yuhua; Bao Haibo

2012-01-01

Great attention has been paid to the origin of observed wild price fluctuations of solar PV Si feedstock in both contract and spot markets during 2004–2009. This paper sheds light on this issue and tries to resolve it by addressing the following questions: what kind of structural shock is underlying the price fluctuations of PV Si feedstock? How can we quantify the magnitude, timing and relative importance of these shocks? What are their dynamic effects on the real price of PV Si feedstock? By carefully studying development conditions, the structural decomposition of the real price of PV Si feedstock is proposed: exchange rate shocks, production cost shocks, aggregate demand shocks and demand shocks specific to feedstock markets. With a Structural Vector Autoregression model, the paper quantifies and verifies the impact of structural shocks on PV Si feedstock real price changes. Based on national data, an analysis is further taken to confirm the essential role of demand shocks specific to feedstock markets in determining sharper price fluctuations during 2004–2009. The results of this study have important implications for national solar PV development, which can be better promoted and administrated if structural shocks in feedstock markets can be carefully evaluated and understood. - Highlights: ► The determination of solar PV Si feedstock price fluctuation is identified and quantified. ► Systematic structural shocks well explain 2004–2009 price fluctuations of PV Si feedstock. ► Production cost and aggregated demand shocks take longer effects on feedstock price. ► Exchange rate and feedstock specific demand shocks explain sharper price fluctuations. ► Development of national PV power should consider effects of structure shocks.

Prospects for using multi-walled carbon nanotubes formed from renewable feedstock in hydrogen energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onishchenko, D. V.

2013-01-01

Mechanoactivation of amorphous carbon synthesized from renewable feedstock promotes formation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and the best results were obtained using the feedstock of sphagnum moss. It is shown that the carbon nanotubes formed from different plant feedstock have a high sorption capacity with respect to hydrogen. (author)

Biofuels feedstock development program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, L.L.; Cushman, J.H.; Ehrenshaft, A.R.; McLaughlin, S.B.; McNabb, W.A.; Martin, S.A.; Ranney, J.W.; Tuskan, G.A.; Turhollow, A.F.

1993-11-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Biofuels Feedstock Development Program (BFDP) leads the nation in the research, development, and demonstration of environmentally acceptable and commercially viable dedicated feedstock supply systems (DFSS). The purpose of this report is to highlight the status and accomplishments of the research that is currently being funded by the BFDP. Highlights summarized here and additional accomplishments are described in more detail in the sections associated with each major program task. A few key accomplishments include (1) development of a methodology for doing a cost-supply analysis for energy crops and the application of that methodology to looking at possible land use changes around a specific energy facility in East Tennessee; (2) preliminary documentation of the relationship between woody crop plantation locations and bird diversity at sites in the Midwest, Canada, and the pacific Northwest supplied indications that woody crop plantations could be beneficial to biodiversity; (3) the initiation of integrated switchgrass variety trials, breeding research, and biotechnology research for the south/southeast region; (4) development of a data base management system for documenting the results of herbaceous energy crop field trials; (5) publication of three issues of Energy Crops Forum and development of a readership of over 2,300 individuals or organizations as determined by positive responses on questionnaires

Cost Methodology for Biomass Feedstocks: Herbaceous Crops and Agricultural Residues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turhollow Jr, Anthony F [ORNL; Webb, Erin [ORNL; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine [ORNL

2009-12-01

This report describes a set of procedures and assumptions used to estimate production and logistics costs of bioenergy feedstocks from herbaceous crops and agricultural residues. The engineering-economic analysis discussed here is based on methodologies developed by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA). An engineering-economic analysis approach was chosen due to lack of historical cost data for bioenergy feedstocks. Instead, costs are calculated using assumptions for equipment performance, input prices, and yield data derived from equipment manufacturers, research literature, and/or standards. Cost estimates account for fixed and variable costs. Several examples of this costing methodology used to estimate feedstock logistics costs are included at the end of this report.

Application of next-generation sequencing methods for microbial monitoring of anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozan, Mahir; Akyol, Çağrı; Ince, Orhan; Aydin, Sevcan; Ince, Bahar

2017-09-01

The anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic wastes is considered an efficient method for managing the world's energy shortages and resolving contemporary environmental problems. However, the recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass represents a barrier to maximizing biogas production. The purpose of this review is to examine the extent to which sequencing methods can be employed to monitor such biofuel conversion processes. From a microbial perspective, we present a detailed insight into anaerobic digesters that utilize lignocellulosic biomass and discuss some benefits and disadvantages associated with the microbial sequencing techniques that are typically applied. We further evaluate the extent to which a hybrid approach incorporating a variation of existing methods can be utilized to develop a more in-depth understanding of microbial communities. It is hoped that this deeper knowledge will enhance the reliability and extent of research findings with the end objective of improving the stability of anaerobic digesters that manage lignocellulosic biomass.

Molecular microbial ecology of lignocellulose mobilisation as a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The community structure of complex microbial consortia which develop in lignocellulose packed passive treatment systems for acid mine drainage remediation were investigated. An understanding of interactions between these populations is important in determining mechanisms by which such systems operate.

Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation and Partial Saccharification and Co-Fermentation of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Ethanol Production

Science.gov (United States)

Doran-Peterson, Joy; Jangid, Amruta; Brandon, Sarah K.; Decrescenzo-Henriksen, Emily; Dien, Bruce; Ingram, Lonnie O.

Ethanol production by fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars involves a fairly ancient art and an ever-evolving science. Production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass is not avant-garde, and wood ethanol plants have been in existence since at least 1915. Most current ethanol production relies on starch- and sugar-based crops as the substrate; however, limitations of these materials and competing value for human and animal feeds is renewing interest in lignocellulose conversion. Herein, we describe methods for both simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and a similar but separate process for partial saccharification and cofermentation (PSCF) of lignocellulosic biomass for ethanol production using yeasts or pentose-fermenting engineered bacteria. These methods are applicable for small-scale preliminary evaluations of ethanol production from a variety of biomass sources.

Transport biofuel yields from food and lignocellulosic C{sub 4} crops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reijnders, L. [IBED University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2010-01-15

In the near future, the lignocellulosic C{sub 4} crops Miscanthus and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) are unlikely to outcompete sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) in net energetic yearly yield of transport biofuel ha{sup -1}. This holds both for the thermochemical conversion into liquid hydrocarbons and the enzymatic conversion into ethanol. Currently, Miscanthus and switchgrass would also not seem able to outcompete corn (Zea mays) in net energetic yearly yield of liquid transport biofuel ha{sup -1}, but further development of these lignocellulosic crops may gradually lead to a different outcome. (author)

The NILE Project - Advances in the Conversion of Lignocellulosic Materials into Ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monot, F.; Margeot, A.; Hahn-Haegerdal, B.; Lindstedt, J.; Slade, R.

2013-01-01

NILE ('New Improvements for Lignocellulosic Ethanol') was an integrated European project (2005-2010) devoted to the conversion of lignocellulosic raw materials to ethanol. The main objectives were to design novel enzymes suitable for the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose and new yeast strains able to efficiently converting all the sugars present in lignocellulose into ethanol. The project also included testing these new developments in an integrated pilot plant and evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts of implementing lignocellulosic ethanol on a large scale. Two model raw materials - spruce and wheat straw - both preconditioned with similar pretreatments, were used. Several approaches were explored to improve the saccharification of these pretreated raw materials such as searching for new efficient enzymes and enzyme engineering. Various genetic engineering methods were applied to obtain stable xylose- and arabinose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that tolerate the toxic compounds present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The pilot plant was able to treat 2 tons of dry matter per day, and hydrolysis and fermentation could be run successively or simultaneously. A global model integrating the supply chain was used to assess the performance of lignocellulosic ethanol from an economical and environmental perspective. It was found that directed evolution of a specific enzyme of the cellulolytic cocktail produced by the industrial fungus, Trichoderma reesei, and modification of the composition of this cocktail led to improvements of the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated raw material. These results, however, were difficult to reproduce at a large scale. A substantial increase in the ethanol conversion yield and in specific ethanol productivity was obtained through a combination of metabolic engineering of yeast strains and fermentation process development. Pilot trials confirmed the good behaviour of the yeast strains in industrial

1-Butyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride Pretreatment on Malaysia Lignocellulose Wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, L.P.; Nur Hasyareeda Hassan; Muhammad Rahimi Yusop

2015-01-01

Ionic liquids (ILs) are of great interest as potential solvents for the production of fuels from lignocellulose biomass which is a potential source of bio fuels. To study the effects of pretreatment, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([B mim]Cl) was used to pretreat woody plants, kempas (Koompassia malaccensis) and jelutong (Dyera costulata), and non-woody plants, kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) and rice husk (Oryza sativa) at 120 degree Celsius for 24 h. Cellulose was regenerated by the addition of water. The cell wall composition and structure of the lignocellulose bio masses before and after the ILs pretreatment were observed and characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). After the pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out to identify the total reducing sugars (TRS) yields using dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. Regenerated lignocellulose bio masses resulted in high TRS yields compared to their counter-parts which are in agreement with the findings of FESEM, ATR FT-IR and XRD that exhibited regenerated cellulose were less crystalline and more amorphous upon IL pretreatment. Therefore, kempas and jelutong can be alternate sources for the bio fuels production. (author)

Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocelluloses Should be Conducted at Elevated pH 5.2-6.2

Science.gov (United States)

T.Q. Lan; Hongming Lou; J.Y. Zhu

2013-01-01

This study revealed that cellulose enzymatic saccharification response curves of lignocellulosic substrates were very different from those of pure cellulosic substrates in terms of optimal pH and pH operating window. The maximal enzymatic cellulose saccharification of lignocellulosic substrates occurs at substrate suspension

Lignosulfonate-mediated cellulase adsorption: enhanced enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose through weakening nonproductive binding to lignin

Science.gov (United States)

Zhaojiang Wang; JY Zhu; Yingjuan Fu; Menghua Qin; Zhiyong Shao; Jungang Jiang; Fang Yang

2013-01-01

Thermochemical pretreatment of lignocellulose is crucial to bioconversion in the fields of biorefinery and biofuels. However, the enzyme inhibitors in pretreatment hydrolysate make solid substrate washing and hydrolysate detoxification indispensable prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. Sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocelluloses (SPORL) is a relatively...

Delignification and Enhanced Gas Release from Soil Containing Lignocellulose by Treatment with Bacterial Lignin Degraders.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Goran M M; Duran-Pena, Maria Jesus; Rahmanpour, Rahman; Sapsford, Devin; Bugg, Timothy D H

2017-04-10

The aim of the study was to isolate bacterial lignin-degrading bacteria from municipal solid waste soil, and to investigate whether they could be used to delignify lignocellulose-containing soil, and enhance methane release. A set of 20 bacterial lignin degraders, including 11 new isolates from municipal solid waste soil, were tested for delignification and phenol release in soil containing 1% pine lignocellulose. A group of 7 strains were then tested for enhancement of gas release from soil containing 1% lignocellulose in small-scale column tests. Using an aerobic pre-treatment, aerobic strains such as Pseudomonas putida showed enhanced gas release from the treated sample, but four bacterial isolates showed 5-10 fold enhancement in gas release in an in situ experiment under microanaerobic conditions: Agrobacterium sp., Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Comamonas testosteroni, and Enterobacter sp.. The results show that facultative anaerobic bacterial lignin degraders found in landfill soil can be used for in situ delignification and enhanced gas release in soil containing lignocellulose. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using an in situ bacterial treatment to enhance gas release and resource recovery from landfill soil containing lignocellulosic waste. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A spatially explicit whole-system model of the lignocellulosic bioethanol supply chain: an assessment of decentralised processing potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shah Nilay

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lignocellulosic bioethanol technologies exhibit significant capacity for performance improvement across the supply chain through the development of high-yielding energy crops, integrated pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation technologies and the application of dedicated ethanol pipelines. The impact of such developments on cost-optimal plant location, scale and process composition within multiple plant infrastructures is poorly understood. A combined production and logistics model has been developed to investigate cost-optimal system configurations for a range of technological, system scale, biomass supply and ethanol demand distribution scenarios specific to European agricultural land and population densities. Results Ethanol production costs for current technologies decrease significantly from $0.71 to $0.58 per litre with increasing economies of scale, up to a maximum single-plant capacity of 550 × 106 l year-1. The development of high-yielding energy crops and consolidated bio-processing realises significant cost reductions, with production costs ranging from $0.33 to $0.36 per litre. Increased feedstock yields result in systems of eight fully integrated plants operating within a 500 × 500 km2 region, each producing between 1.24 and 2.38 × 109 l year-1 of pure ethanol. A limited potential for distributed processing and centralised purification systems is identified, requiring developments in modular, ambient pretreatment and fermentation technologies and the pipeline transport of pure ethanol. Conclusion The conceptual and mathematical modelling framework developed provides a valuable tool for the assessment and optimisation of the lignocellulosic bioethanol supply chain. In particular, it can provide insight into the optimal configuration of multiple plant systems. This information is invaluable in ensuring (near-cost-optimal strategic development within the sector at the regional and national scale. The framework

2011 Biomass Program Platform Peer Review: Feedstock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCann, Laura [Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States)

2012-02-01

This document summarizes the recommendations and evaluations provided by an independent external panel of experts at the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Program’s Feedstock Platform Review meeting.

Ethanol production from lignocellulosic hydrolysates using engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae harboring xylose isomerase-based pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Ja Kyong; Um, Youngsoon; Woo, Han Min; Kim, Kyoung Heon; Lee, Sun-Mi

2016-06-01

The efficient co-fermentation of glucose and xylose is necessary for the economically feasible bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Even with xylose utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the efficiency of the lignocellulosic ethanol production remains suboptimal mainly due to the low conversion yield of xylose to ethanol. In this study, we evaluated the co-fermentation performances of SXA-R2P-E, a recently engineered isomerase-based xylose utilizing strain, in mixed sugars and in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. In a high-sugar fermentation with 70g/L of glucose and 40g/L of xylose, SXA-R2P-E produced 50g/L of ethanol with an yield of 0.43gethanol/gsugars at 72h. From dilute acid-pretreated hydrolysates of rice straw and hardwood (oak), the strain produced 18-21g/L of ethanol with among the highest yield of 0.43-0.46gethanol/gsugars ever reported. This study shows a highly promising potential of a xylose isomerase-expressing strain as an industrially relevant ethanol producer from lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systems and processes for conversion of ethylene feedstocks to hydrocarbon fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Lilga, Michael A.; Hallen, Richard T.; Albrecht, Karl O.; Cooper, Alan R.; Frye, John G.; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan Kallupalayam

2018-04-03

Systems, processes, and catalysts are disclosed for obtaining fuel and fuel blends containing selected ratios of open-chain and closed-chain fuel-range hydrocarbons suitable for production of alternate fuels including gasolines, jet fuels, and diesel fuels. Fuel-range hydrocarbons may be derived from ethylene-containing feedstocks and ethanol-containing feedstocks.

Systems and processes for conversion of ethylene feedstocks to hydrocarbon fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Lilga, Michael A.; Hallen, Richard T.; Albrecht, Karl O.; Cooper, Alan R.; Frye, John G.; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan Kallupalayam

2017-09-26

Systems, processes, and catalysts are disclosed for obtaining fuels and fuel blends containing selected ratios of open-chain and closed-chain fuel-range hydrocarbons suitable for production of alternate fuels including gasolines, jet fuels, and diesel fuels. Fuel-range hydrocarbons may be derived from ethylene-containing feedstocks and ethanol-containing feedstocks.

Stabilization of wood and lignocellulose materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pesek, M.; Dedek, V.; Plander, E.; Jarkovsky, J.

1973-01-01

A method is described consisting in impregnation of wood or of lignocellulose materials with a mixture containing the unsaturated monomers styrene and acrylnitrile, organic solvents and swelling agents, and 1,3-butadiene and/or 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene and/or 1,3-cyclopentadiene at an amount of 40 volume per cent in the initial mixture. Polymerization is effected by ionizing radiation. (B.S.)

Sugar cane/sweet sorghum as an ethanol feedstock in Louisiana and Piedmont

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, L.S.; Cundiff, J.S.

1991-01-01

Cost to provide readily fermentable feedstock for a year round sweet sorghum-to-ethanol production facility, up to the point at which fermentation begins, was determined. It was assumed that sweet sorghum is produced on marginal crop lands in the Southeastern Piedmont, and is purchased, standing in the field by a central ethanol production facility. Feedstock cost varied from $1.96 to $2.98/gal of ethanol potential depending on harvest system and use of by-products. Major contributors to feedstock cost were field production, harvest/field processing, and cost to evaporate juice to a storable syrup. Cost to transport feedstock to a central production facility, and cost of storage were relatively minor components of total cost, contributing only $0.05 and $0.06/gal ethanol potential, respectively. For a point of comparison, cost of producing ethanol feedstock from sugar cane, based on current processing practices in Louisiana sugar mills, was determined to be $2.50/gal ethanol potential. This cost is higher than determined for most options in the Piedmont for two reasons: (1) sugar cane demands a higher price in Louisiana than was assumed for sweet sorghum in the Piedmont, and (2) little market exists in Louisiana for by-products of sugar milling, consequently, no by-product credit was assigned. Current market value of ethanol must approximately double before a sweet sorghum-to-ethanol industry in the Piedmont could be economically viable, as no opportunity was identified for a significant reduction in feedstock cost

Lignocellulose pretreatment in a fungus-cultivating termite

Science.gov (United States)

Hongjie Li; Daniel J. Yelle; Chang Li; Mengyi Yang; Jing Ke; Ruijuan Zhang; Yu Liu; Na Zhu; Shiyou Liang; Xiaochang Mo; John Ralph; Cameron R. Currie; Jianchu Mo

2017-01-01

Depolymerizing lignin, the complex phenolic polymer fortifying plant cell walls, is an essential but challenging starting point for the lignocellulosics industries. The variety of ether– and carbon–carbon interunit linkages produced via radical coupling during lignification limit chemical and biological depolymerization efficiency. In an ancient fungus-cultivating...

Biodiesel production from various feedstocks and their effects on the fuel properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Canakci, M; Sanli, H

2008-05-01

Biodiesel, which is a new, renewable and biological origin alternative diesel fuel, has been receiving more attention all over the world due to the energy needs and environmental consciousness. Biodiesel is usually produced from food-grade vegetable oils using transesterification process. Using food-grade vegetable oils is not economically feasible since they are more expensive than diesel fuel. Therefore, it is said that the main obstacle for commercialization of biodiesel is its high cost. Waste cooking oils, restaurant greases, soapstocks and animal fats are potential feedstocks for biodiesel production to lower the cost of biodiesel. However, to produce fuel-grade biodiesel, the characteristics of feedstock are very important during the initial research and production stage since the fuel properties mainly depend on the feedstock properties. This review paper presents both biodiesel productions from various feedstocks and their effects on the fuel properties.

Microbial degradation of lignocellulosic fractions during drum composting of mixed organic waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vempalli Sudharsan Varma

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The study aimed to characterize the microbial population involved in lignocellulose degradation during drum composting of mixed organic waste i.e. vegetable waste, cattle manure, saw dust and dry leaves in a 550 L rotary drum composter. Lignocellulose degradation by different microbial populations was correlated by comparing results from four trials, i.e., Trial 1 (5:4, Trial 2 (6:3, Trial 3 (7:2 and Trial 4 (8:1 of varying waste combinations during 20 days of composting period. Due to proper combination of waste materials and agitation in drum composter, a maximum of 66.5 and 61.4 °C was achieved in Trial 1 and 2 by observing a temperature level of 55 °C for 4–6 d. The study revealed that combinations of waste materials had a major effect on the microbial degradation of waste material and quality of final compost due to its physical properties. However, Trial 1 was observed to have longer thermophilic phase leading to higher degradation of lignocellulosic fractions. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and fluorescent spectroscopy confirmed the decrease in aliphatic to aromatic ratio and increase in polyphenolic compounds of the compost. Heterotrophic bacteria were observed predominantly due to the readily available organic matter during the initial period of composting. However, fungi and actinomycetes were active in the degradation of lignocellulosic fractions.

Complete oxidative conversion of lignocellulose derived non-glucose sugars to sugar acids by Gluconobacter oxydans.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Ruimiao; Hou, Weiliang; Bao, Jie

2017-11-01

Non-glucose sugars derived from lignocellulose cover approximately 40% of the total carbohydrates of lignocellulose biomass. The conversion of the non-glucose sugars to the target products is an important task of lignocellulose biorefining research. Here we report a fast and complete conversion of the total non-glucose sugars from corn stover into the corresponding sugar acids by whole cell catalysis and aerobic fermentation of Gluconobacter oxydans. The conversions include xylose to xylonate, arabinose to arabonate, mannose to mannonate, and galactose to galactonate, as well as with glucose into gluconate. These cellulosic non-glucose sugar acids showed the excellent cement retard setting property. The mixed cellulosic sugar acids could be used as cement retard additives without separation. The conversion of the non-glucose sugars not only makes full use of lignocellulose derived sugars, but also effectively reduces the wastewater treatment burden by removal of residual sugars. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comprehensive review on pre-treatment strategy for lignocellulosic food industry waste: Challenges and opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravindran, Rajeev; Jaiswal, Amit Kumar

2016-01-01

Lignocellulose is a generic term used to describe plant biomass. It is the most abundant renewable carbon resource in the world and is mainly composed of lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses. Most of the food and food processing industry waste are lignocellulosic in nature with a global estimate of up to 1.3 billion tons/year. Lignocellulose, on hydrolysis, releases reducing sugars which is used for the production of bioethanol, biogas, organic acids, enzymes and biosorbents. However, structural conformation, high lignin content and crystalline cellulose hinder its use for value addition. Pre-treatment strategies facilitate the exposure of more cellulose and hemicelluloses for enzymatic hydrolysis. The present article confers about the structure of lignocellulose and how it influences enzymatic degradation emphasising the need for pre-treatments along with a comprehensive analysis and categorisation of the same. Finally, this article concludes with a detailed discussion on microbial/enzymatic inhibitors that arise post pre-treatment and strategies to eliminate them. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technology for biomass feedstock production in southern forests and GHG implications

Science.gov (United States)

Bob Rummer; John Klepac; Jason Thompson

2012-01-01

Woody biomass production in the South can come from four distinct feedstocks - logging residues, thinnings, understory harvesting, or energywood plantations. A range of new technology has been developed to collect, process and transport biomass and a key element of technology development has been to reduce energy consumption. We examined three different woody feedstock...

Nitrous oxide emission and soil carbon sequestration from herbaceous perennial biofuel feedstocks

Science.gov (United States)

Greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and renewable, domestic fuels are needed in the United States. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerdardii Vitman) are potential bioenergy feedstocks that may meet this need. However, managing perennial grasses for feedstock requires nitro...

SIMULTANEOUS PRETREATMENT OF LIGNOCELLULOSE AND HYDROLYSIS OF STARCH IN MIXTURES TO SUGARS

OpenAIRE

Hamzeh Hoseinpour; Keikhosro Karimi; Hamid Zilouei; Mohammad J. Taherzadeh

2010-01-01

Mixtures of starch and lignocelluloses are available in many industrial, agricultural, and municipal wastes and residuals. In this work, dilute sulfuric acid was used for simultaneous pretreatment of lignocellulose and hydrolysis of starch, to obtain a maximum amount of fermentable sugar after enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase and β-glucosidase. The acid treatment was carried out at 70-150°C with 0-1% (v/v) acid concentration and 5-15% (w/v) solids concentration for 0-40 minutes. Under the ...

Isolation and characterization of Cupriavidus basilensis HMF14 for biological removal of inhibitors from lignocellulosic hydrolysatembt

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wierckx, N.; Koopman, F.; Bandounas, L.; Winde, J.H.de; Ruijssenaars, H.J.

2010-01-01

The formation of toxic fermentation inhibitors such as furfural and 5-hydroxy-2-methylfurfural (HMF) during acid (pre-)treatment of lignocellulose, calls for the efficient removal of these compounds. Lignocellulosic hydrolysates can be efficiently detoxified biologically with microorganisms that

Effect of biomass pretreatment on the product distribution and composition resulting from the hydrothermal liquefaction of short rotation coppice willow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grigoras, Ionela; Stroe, Rodica-Elisabeta; Sintamarean, Iulia-Maria

2017-01-01

A major challenge for the implementation of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) as a continuous process is the formulation of lignocellulosic feedstock, which is prone to phase separation into water and biomass parts when pressurized. One approach to remedy such phase separation is to reduce the dry...... from the HTL of willow and proposes short rotation coppice as an alternative biomass feedstock for biofuels production. Alkaline–thermal pretreatment, besides making high dry matter pumpable feedstock slurries, also led to an increase in the production of the bio-crude product with an oxygen content...

Pretreatment methods to obtain pumpable high solid loading wood–water slurries for continuous hydrothermal liquefaction systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dãrãbana, Iulia-Maria; Rosendahl, Lasse Aistrup; Pedersen, Thomas Helmer

2015-01-01

Feedstock pretreatment is a prerequisite step for continuous processing of lignocellulosic biomass through HTL, in order to facilitate the pumpability of biomass aqueous slurries. Until now, HTL feedstock pumpability could only be achieved at solid mass content below 15%. In this work, two...... pretreatment methods to obtain wood-based slurries with more than 20% solid mass content, for continuous processing in HTL systems, are proposed. The effect of biomass particle size and pretreatment method on the feedstock pumpability is analyzed. The experimental results show that pumpable wood-based slurries...

Improving the adsorption of lignocelluloses of prehydrolysis liquor on precipitated calcium carbonate.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatehi, Pedram; Shen, Jing; Hamdan, Fadia C; Ni, Yonghao

2013-02-15

In this work, the adsorption of lignocelluloses of pre-hydrolysis liquor (PHL) on precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) was studied in the presence of poly diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) or cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM). The results revealed that adding PCC to PHL and subsequently adding cationic polymers to PHL/PCC systems was more effective than adding cationic polymers to PHL and then adding PCC to the cationic polymer/PHL systems. At the same dosage applied, PDADMAC resulted in a higher adsorption of lignocelluloses on PCC than CPAM did due to its higher charge density. The adsorption of lignocelluloses on PCC reached its maximum in 3h, and a high temperature reduced the adsorption level as the adsorption was an exothermic process. The maximum adsorptions of 530 mg/g oligo-sugars, 203 mg/g lignin and 58 mg/g furfural on PCC were achieved via adding 0.8 mg/g PDADMAC2 (i.e. higher MW PDADMAC) to PCC/PHL system. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technological advances and applications of hydrolytic enzymes for valorization of lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Manisha; Yadav, Sudesh Kumar

2017-12-01

Hydrolytic enzymes are indispensable tools in the production of various foodstuffs, drugs, and consumables owing to their applications in almost every industrial process nowadays. One of the foremost areas of interest involving the use of hydrolytic enzymes is in the transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into value added products. However, limitations of the processes due to inadequate enzyme activity and stability with a narrow range of pH and temperature optima often limit their effective usage. The innovative technologies, involving manipulation of enzyme activity and stability through mutagenesis, genetic engineering and metagenomics lead to a major leap in all the fields using hydrolytic enzymes. This article provides recent advancement towards the isolation and use of microbes for lignocellulosic biomass utilisation, microbes producing the hydrolytic enzymes, the modern age technologies used to manipulate and enhance the hydrolytic enzyme activity and the applications of such enzymes in value added products development from lignocellulosic biomass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduced cool-season grasses in diversified systems of forage and feedstock production

Science.gov (United States)

Interest in producing biomass feedstock for biorefineries has increased in the southern Great Plains, though research has largely focused on the potential function of biorefineries. This study examined feedstock production from the producers’ viewpoint, and how this activity might function within di...

High quality bio-oil from catalytic flash pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass over alumina-supported sodium carbonate

KAUST Repository

Imran, Ali

2014-11-01

Performance of a novel alumina-supported sodium carbonate catalyst was studied to produce a valuable bio-oil from catalytic flash pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. Post treatment of biomass pyrolysis vapor was investigated in a catalyst fixed bed reactor at the downstream of the pyrolysis reactor. In-situ catalytic upgrading of biomass pyrolysis vapor was conducted in an entrained flow pyrolysis reactor by feeding a premixed feedstock of the catalyst and biomass. Na2CO3/gamma-Al2O3 was very effective for de-oxygenation of the pyrolysis liquid and oxygen content of the bio-oil was decreased from 47.5 wt.% to 16.4 wt.%. An organic rich bio-oil was obtained with 5.8 wt.% water content and a higher heating value of 36.1 MJ/kg. Carboxylic acids were completely removed and the bio-oil had almost a neutral pH. This bio-oil of high calorific low, low water and oxygen content may be an attractive fuel precursor. In-situ catalytic upgrading of biomass pyrolysis vapor produced a very similar quality bio-oil compared to post treatment of pyrolysis vapors, and shows the possible application of Na2CO3/gamma-Al2O3 in a commercial type reactor system such as a fluidized bed reactor. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fungal treated lignocellulosic biomass as ruminant feed ingredient: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

van Kuijk, S J A; Sonnenberg, A S M; Baars, J J P; Hendriks, W H; Cone, J W

2015-01-01

In ruminant nutrition, there is an increasing interest for ingredients that do not compete with human nutrition. Ruminants are specialists in digesting carbohydrates in plant cell walls; therefore lignocellulosic biomass has potential in ruminant nutrition. The presence of lignin in biomass, however, limits the effective utilization of cellulose and hemicellulose. Currently, most often chemical and/or physical treatments are used to degrade lignin. White rot fungi are selective lignin degraders and can be a potential alternative to current methods which involve potentially toxic chemicals and expensive equipment. This review provides an overview of research conducted to date on fungal pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for ruminant feeds. White rot fungi colonize lignocellulosic biomass, and during colonization produce enzymes, radicals and other small compounds to breakdown lignin. The mechanisms on how these fungi degrade lignin are not fully understood, but fungal strain, the origin of lignocellulose and culture conditions have a major effect on the process. Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and Pleurotus eryngii are the most effective fungi to improve the nutritional value of biomass for ruminant nutrition. However, conclusions on the effectiveness of fungal delignification are difficult to draw due to a lack of standardized culture conditions and information on fungal strains used. Methods of analysis between studies are not uniform for both chemical analysis and in vitro degradation measurements. In vivo studies are limited in number and mostly describing digestibility after mushroom production, when the fungus has degraded cellulose to derive energy for fruit body development. Optimization of fungal pretreatment is required to shorten the process of delignification and make it more selective for lignin. In this respect, future research should focus on optimization of culture conditions and gene expression to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms

Effect of biomass feedstock chemical and physical properties on energy conversion processes: Volume 1, Overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butner, R.S.; Elliott, D.C.; Sealock, L.J. Jr.; Pyne, J.W.

1988-12-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory has completed an initial investigation of the effects of physical and chemical properties of biomass feedstocks relative to their performance in biomass energy conversion systems. Both biochemical conversion routes (anaerobic digestion and ethanol fermentation) and thermochemical routes (combustion, pyrolysis, and gasification) were included in the study. Related processes including chemical and physical pretreatment to improve digestibility, and size and density modification processes such as milling and pelletizing were also examined. This overview report provides background and discussion of feedstock and conversion relationships, along with recommendations for future research. The recommendations include (1) coordinate production and conversion research programs; (2) quantify the relationship between feedstock properties and conversion priorities; (3) develop a common framework for evaluating and characterizing biomass feedstocks; (4) include conversion effects as part of the criteria for selecting feedstock breeding programs; and (5) continue emphasis on multiple feedstock/conversion options for biomass energy systems. 9 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

Generating a geospatial database of U.S. regional feedstock production for use in evaluating the environmental footprint of biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Holder, Christopher T; Cleland, Joshua C; LeDuc, Stephen D; Andereck, Zac; Hogan, Chris; Martin, Kristen M

2016-04-01

The potential environmental effects of increased U.S. biofuel production often vary depending upon the location and type of land used to produce biofuel feedstocks. However, complete, annual data are generally lacking regarding feedstock production by specific location. Corn is the dominant biofuel feedstock in the U.S., so here we present methods for estimating where bioethanol corn feedstock is grown annually and how much is used by U.S. ethanol biorefineries. We use geospatial software and publicly available data to map locations of biorefineries, estimate their corn feedstock requirements, and estimate the feedstock production locations and quantities. We combined these data and estimates into a Bioethanol Feedstock Geospatial Database (BFGD) for years 2005-2010. We evaluated the performance of the methods by assessing how well the feedstock geospatial model matched our estimates of locally-sourced feedstock demand. On average, the model met approximately 89 percent of the total estimated local feedstock demand across the studied years-within approximately 25-to-40 kilometers of the biorefinery in the majority of cases. We anticipate that these methods could be used for other years and feedstocks, and can be subsequently applied to estimate the environmental footprint of feedstock production. Methods used to develop the Bioethanol Feedstock Geospatial Database (BFGD) provide a means of estimating the amount and location of U.S. corn harvested for use as U.S. bioethanol feedstock. Such estimates of geospatial feedstock production may be used to evaluate environmental impacts of bioethanol production and to identify conservation priorities. The BFGD is available for 2005-2010, and the methods may be applied to additional years, locations, and potentially other biofuels and feedstocks.

Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels: Economic Drivers, Environmental Implications, and the Role of Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2009-10-27

The Biomass Research and Development Board (Board) commissioned an economic analysis of feedstocks to produce biofuels. The Board seeks to inform investments in research and development needed to expand biofuel production. This analysis focuses on feedstocks; other interagency teams have projects underway for other parts of the biofuel sector (e.g., logistics). The analysis encompasses feedstocks for both conventional and advanced biofuels from agriculture and forestry sources.

Formic acid catalysed xylose dehydration into furfural

OpenAIRE

Lamminpää, K. (Kaisa)

2015-01-01

Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood or agricultural residues, is a resource widely available for use in chemical production. In a lignocellulosic feedstock biorefinery, the major parts of biomass, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, are converted to valuable chemicals, materials and energy. Furfural production is one option for the use of the pentose sugars available in hemicellulose, and the process could be integrated with the pulp or cellulosic ethanol industry. In the past...

Comparison of the Effects of Thermal Pretreatment, Steam Explosion and Ultrasonic Disintegration on Digestibility of Corn Stover

OpenAIRE

Andras Dallos; Gyula Dörgő; Dániel Capári

2016-01-01

The energy demand of the corn-based bioethanol production could be reduced using the agricultural byproducts as bioenergy feedstock for biogas digesters. The release of lignocellulosic material and therefore the acceleration of degradation processes can be achieved using thermal and mechanical pretreatments, which assist to hydrolyze the cell walls and speed the solubilization of biopolymers in biogas feedstock. This study is focused on liquid hot water, steam explosion and ultrasonic pretrea...

Simple and enhanced production of lignocellulosic ethanol by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ethanol can be produced from a fermentation process using raw materials obtained from highly economically important plants such as corn, cassava and sugarcane, and used as an alternative energy source. These economical plants are being used less because their initial cost is still increasing. However, lignocellulosic ...

Alternative coke production from unconventional feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smoot, D.; Eatough, C.N.; Heaton, J.S.; Eatough, S.R.; Miller, A.B. [Combustion Resources, Provo, UT (US)

2004-07-01

This presentation reports on US Department of Energy and company sponsored research and development to develop a technology and process for making metallurgical-quality coke from alternate feedstocks, including by-product and waste carbonaceous materials. The basic patent-pending process blends and presses these carbon-containing materials into briquettes of specified size. This product is referred to as CR Clean Coke because pollutant emission levels are carefully controlled to low levels with little or no vagrant emissions during processing. A wide range of feedstock materials has been investigated in over 600 tests for run-of-mine and waste coal fines of various rank with blends of coal tars and pitches, coal and biomass chars, met-coke breeze or petroleum coke. For various coal/pet-coke/tar feedstocks, CR has produced uniform-sized briquettes in commercial-scale briquettes in three nominal sizes: one inch, two inch, and three inch. These products have been successfully qualified according to stringent requirements for conventional met-coke use in a blast furnace. Several formulation have met and frequently exceeded these established met-coke specifications. One specific product containing coal, tar and pet-coke was selected as a base formulation for which preliminary process design and cost estimates have been completed for construction and operation of a demonstration plant capable of producing 120,000 tons per year of CR Clean Coke. Plant design elements and blast furnace test plans are presented. Tailoring of CR Clean Coke products to other prospective end users including foundry, sugar, soda ash, and ferrometals industries presents additional opportunities. The text is accompanied by 30 slides/overheads. 14 refs., 3 figs., 9 tabs.

Metabolic engineering of yeast for lignocellulosic biofuel production.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yong-Su; Cate, Jamie Hd

2017-12-01

Production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass remains an unsolved challenge in industrial biotechnology. Efforts to use yeast for conversion face the question of which host organism to use, counterbalancing the ease of genetic manipulation with the promise of robust industrial phenotypes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae remains the premier host for metabolic engineering of biofuel pathways, due to its many genetic, systems and synthetic biology tools. Numerous engineering strategies for expanding substrate ranges and diversifying products of S. cerevisiae have been developed. Other yeasts generally lack these tools, yet harbor superior phenotypes that could be exploited in the harsh processes required for lignocellulosic biofuel production. These include thermotolerance, resistance to toxic compounds generated during plant biomass deconstruction, and wider carbon consumption capabilities. Although promising, these yeasts have yet to be widely exploited. By contrast, oleaginous yeasts such as Yarrowia lipolytica capable of producing high titers of lipids are rapidly advancing in terms of the tools available for their metabolic manipulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bacterial Community Structure and Biochemical Changes Associated With Composting of Lignocellulosic Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Huzairi Mohd Zainudin

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Bacterial community structure and biochemical changes during the composting of lignocellulosic oil palm empty bunch (EFB and palm oil mill effluent (POME anaerobic sludge were studied by examining the succession of the bacterial community and its association with changes in lignocellulosic components by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE and the 16S rRNA gene clone library. During composting, a major reduction in cellulose after 10 days from 50% to 19% and the carbon content from 44% to 27% towards the end of the 40-day composting period were observed. The C/N ratio also decreased. A drastic change in the bacterial community structure and diversity throughout the composting process was clearly observed using PCR-DGGE banding patterns. The bacterial community drastically shifted between the thermophilic and maturing stages. 16s rRNA clones belonging to the genera Bacillus, Exiguobacterium, Desemzia, and Planococcus were the dominant groups throughout composting. The species closely related to Solibacillus silvestris were found to be major contributors to changes in the lignocellulosic component. Clones identified as Thermobacillus xylanilyticus, Brachybacterium faecium, Cellulosimicrobium cellulans, Cellulomonas sp., and Thermobifida fusca, which are known to be lignocellulosic-degrading bacteria, were also detected and are believed to support the lignocellulose degradation.

Debinding properties' study of a 316-L stainless steel feedstock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rei, M.; Schaeffer, L. [Metal Forming Lab., Univ. Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil); Souza, J.P. [Extraction Lab., Univ. Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil)

2001-07-01

This paper describes the behavior of a 316-L stainless steel feedstock's front low pressure injection molding process steps (MIM). The qualitative composition is 316-L stainless steel powder, ethylene and vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), 140-macrocrystalline paraffin, carnauba wax and stearic acid. Thermogravimetric analyses were used to determine the quantitative composition of the binder system, while the quantitative composition of feedstock was determined by the knowledge of the mixture's critical loading. The feedstock was molded by low pressure injection molding in a MIGL-33 machine and submitted to a wicking debinding process, or immersed in carbon tetrachloride or in carbon dioxide under supercritical conditions. After the above mentioned procedure, the parts were submitted to thermal extraction. (orig.)

Impact of feedstock quality on clean diesel fuel production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marafi, A.; Stanislaus, A.; Rana, M. [Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Safat (Kuwait)

2013-06-01

High sulfur level in diesel fuel has been identified as a major contributor to harmful emissions (sulfur oxides, particulates, etc.) as a result, recent environmental regulations limit the sulfur content of diesel to ultra-low levels in many countries. The diesel fuel specifications are expected to become extremely severe in the coming years. Problem faced by the refiners is the difficulty in meeting the increasing market demand for Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD). Global market for middle distillates is increasing steadily and this trend is expected to continue for the next few years. At the same time, the quality of feed streams is declining. The refiners are, thus, required to produce a ULSD from poor feedstocks such as light cycle oil (LCO) and coker gas oil (CGO). The key to achieving deep desulfurization in gas-oil hydrotreater is in understanding the factors that influence the reactivity of the different types of sulfur compounds present in the feed, namely, feedstock quality, catalyst, process parameters, and chemistry of ULSD production. Among those parameters, feedstock quality is most critical. (orig.)

Engineering of plants with improved properties as biofuels feedstocks by vessel-specific complementation of xylan biosynthesis mutants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petersen Pia Damm

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cost-efficient generation of second-generation biofuels requires plant biomass that can easily be degraded into sugars and further fermented into fuels. However, lignocellulosic biomass is inherently recalcitrant toward deconstruction technologies due to the abundant lignin and cross-linked hemicelluloses. Furthermore, lignocellulosic biomass has a high content of pentoses, which are more difficult to ferment into fuels than hexoses. Engineered plants with decreased amounts of xylan in their secondary walls have the potential to render plant biomass a more desirable feedstock for biofuel production. Results Xylan is the major non-cellulosic polysaccharide in secondary cell walls, and the xylan deficient irregular xylem (irx mutants irx7, irx8 and irx9 exhibit severe dwarf growth phenotypes. The main reason for the growth phenotype appears to be xylem vessel collapse and the resulting impaired transport of water and nutrients. We developed a xylan-engineering approach to reintroduce xylan biosynthesis specifically into the xylem vessels in the Arabidopsis irx7, irx8 and irx9 mutant backgrounds by driving the expression of the respective glycosyltransferases with the vessel-specific promoters of the VND6 and VND7 transcription factor genes. The growth phenotype, stem breaking strength, and irx morphology was recovered to varying degrees. Some of the plants even exhibited increased stem strength compared to the wild type. We obtained Arabidopsis plants with up to 23% reduction in xylose levels and 18% reduction in lignin content compared to wild-type plants, while exhibiting wild-type growth patterns and morphology, as well as normal xylem vessels. These plants showed a 42% increase in saccharification yield after hot water pretreatment. The VND7 promoter yielded a more complete complementation of the irx phenotype than the VND6 promoter. Conclusions Spatial and temporal deposition of xylan in the secondary cell wall of

Utilization of solid catfish manure waste as carbon and nutrient source for lactic acid production.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Suan; Li, Jing; Blersch, David M

2018-04-19

The aim of this work was to study the solid waste (manure) produced by catfish as a potential feedstock for the production of lactic acid (LA) via fermentation. The solid waste contains high levels of both carbohydrates and nutrients that are sufficient for LA bacteria. Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) was applied using enzyme and Lactobacillus pentosus, and different loadings of enzyme and solid waste were tested. Results showed LA concentrations of 35.7 g/L were obtained at 15% solids content of catfish waste. Because of the high nutrient content in the fish waste, it could also be used as supplementary substrate for nitrogen and carbon sources with other lignocellulosic materials. A combined feedstock of catfish waste and paper mill sludge was tested, increasing the final LA concentration to 43.1 g/L at 12% solids loading. The catfish waste was shown to be a potential feedstock to provide both carbon and nutrients for LA production, suggesting its use as a sole substrate or in combination with other lignocellulosic materials.

Rapid and Complete Enzyme Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Nanofibrils

Science.gov (United States)

Raquel Martin-Sampedro; Ilari Filpponen; Ingrid C. Hoeger; J.Y. Zhu; Janne Laine; Orlando J. Rojas

2012-01-01

Rapid enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNF) was investigated by monitoring nanoscale changes in mass via quartz crystal microgravimetry and also by measuring reducing sugar yields. In only a few minutes LCNF thin films were completely hydrolyzed upon incubation in multicomponent enzyme systems. Conversion to sugars and oligosaccharides of...

Exergy analysis of a combined heat and power plant with integrated lignocellulosic ethanol production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lythcke-Jørgensen, Christoffer Ernst; Haglind, Fredrik; Clausen, Lasse Røngaard

2014-01-01

production. An exergy analysis is carried out for a modelled polygeneration system in which lignocellulosic ethanol production based on hydrothermal pretreatment is integrated in an existing combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The ethanol facility is driven by steam extracted from the CHP unit when feasible...... district heating production in the ethanol facility. The results suggest that the efficiency of integrating lignocellulosic ethanol production in CHP plants is highly dependent on operation, and it is therefore suggested that the expected operation pattern of such polygeneration system is taken......Lignocellulosic ethanol production is often assumed integrated in polygeneration systems because of its energy intensive nature. The objective of this study is to investigate potential irreversibilities from such integration, and what impact it has on the efficiency of the integrated ethanol...

Upgrading of solid biofuels and feedstock quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burvall, Jan [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Umeaa (Sweden). Dept. of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden

1998-06-01

This paper treats upgrading of biomass to pellets, briquettes and powder and the quality needed of the initial feedstock. The main raw materials are wood and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) 5 refs, 6 figs, 2 tabs

Pretreatment Technologies of Lignocellulosic Materials in Bioethanol Production Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Rusdi Hidayat

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Bioethanol is one type of biofuel that developed significantly. The utilization of bioethanol is not only limited for fuel, but also could be used as material for various industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food. With wide utilization and relatively simple production technology has made bioethanol as the most favored biofuel currently. The use of lignocellulosic biomass, microalgae, seaweeds, even GMO (Genetically modified organisms as substrates for bioethanol production has been widely tested. Differences in the materials eventually led to change in the production technology used. Pretreatment technology in the bioethanol production using lignocellulosic currently experiencing rapid development. It is a key process and crucial for the whole next steps. Based on the advantages and disadvantages from all methods, steam explotion and liquid hot water methods are the most promising  pretreatment technology available.

How non-conventional feedstocks will affect aromatics technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koehler, E. [Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH, Muenchen (Germany)

2013-11-01

The abundance of non-conventional feedstocks such as coal and shale gas has begun to affect the availability of traditional base chemicals such as propylene and BTX aromatics. Although this trend is primarily fueled by the fast growing shale gas economy in the US and the abundance of coal in China, it will cause the global supply and demand situation to equilibrate across the regions. Lower demand for gasoline and consequently less aromatics rich reformate from refineries will further tighten the aromatics markets that are expected to grow at healthy rates, however. Refiners can benefit from this trend by abandoning their traditional fuel-oriented business model and becoming producers of petrochemical intermediates, with special focus on paraxylene (PX). Cheap gas from coal (via gasification) or shale reserves is an advantaged feedstock that offers a great platform to make aromatics in a cost-competitive manner, especially in regions where naphtha is in short supply. Gas condensates (LPG and naphtha) are good feedstocks for paraffin aromatization, and methanol from coal or (shale) gas can be directly converted to BTX aromatics (MTA) or alkylated with benzene or toluene to make paraxylene. Most of today's technologies for the production and upgrading of BTX aromatics and their derivatives make use of the unique properties of zeolites. (orig.)

Survey of renewable chemicals produced from lignocellulosic biomass during ionic liquid pretreatment

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Varanasi Patanjali

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lignin is often overlooked in the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, but lignin-based materials and chemicals represent potential value-added products for biorefineries that could significantly improve the economics of a biorefinery. Fluctuating crude oil prices and changing fuel specifications are some of the driving factors to develop new technologies that could be used to convert polymeric lignin into low molecular weight lignin and or monomeric aromatic feedstocks to assist in the displacement of the current products associated with the conversion of a whole barrel of oil. We present an approach to produce these chemicals based on the selective breakdown of lignin during ionic liquid pretreatment. Results The lignin breakdown products generated are found to be dependent on the starting biomass, and significant levels were generated on dissolution at 160°C for 6 hrs. Guaiacol was produced on dissolution of biomass and technical lignins. Vanillin was produced on dissolution of kraft lignin and eucalytpus. Syringol and allyl guaiacol were the major products observed on dissolution of switchgrass and pine, respectively, whereas syringol and allyl syringol were obtained by dissolution of eucalyptus. Furthermore, it was observed that different lignin-derived products could be generated by tuning the process conditions. Conclusions We have developed an ionic liquid based process that depolymerizes lignin and converts the low molecular weight lignin fractions into a variety of renewable chemicals from biomass. The generated chemicals (phenols, guaiacols, syringols, eugenol, catechols, their oxidized products (vanillin, vanillic acid, syringaldehyde and their easily derivatized hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene, styrene, biphenyls and cyclohexane already have relatively high market value as commodity and specialty chemicals, green building materials, nylons, and resins.

Pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Corredor, Deisy Y.

The performance of soybean hulls and forage sorghum as feedstocks for ethanol production was studied. The main goal of this research was to increase fermentable sugars' yield through high-efficiency pretreatment technology. Soybean hulls are a potential feedstock for production of bio-ethanol due to their high carbohydrate content (≈50%) of nearly 37% cellulose. Soybean hulls could be the ideal feedstock for fuel ethanol production, because they are abundant and require no special harvesting and additional transportation costs as they are already in the plant. Dilute acid and modified steam-explosion were used as pretreatment technologies to increase fermentable sugars yields. Effects of reaction time, temperature, acid concentration and type of acid on hydrolysis of hemicellulose in soybean hulls and total sugar yields were studied. Optimum pretreatment parameters and enzymatic hydrolysis conditions for converting soybean hulls into fermentable sugars were identified. The combination of acid (H2SO4, 2% w/v) and steam (140°C, 30 min) efficiently solubilized the hemicellulose, giving a pentose yield of 96%. Sorghum is a tropical grass grown primarily in semiarid and dry parts of the world, especially in areas too dry for corn. The production of sorghum results in about 30 million tons of byproducts mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Forage sorghum such as brown midrib (BMR) sorghum for ethanol production has generated much interest since this trait is characterized genetically by lower lignin concentrations in the plant compared with conventional types. Three varieties of forage sorghum and one variety of regular sorghum were characterized and evaluated as feedstock for fermentable sugar production. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-Ray diffraction were used to determine changes in structure and chemical composition of forage sorghum before and after pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis

Lignocellulosic biomass utilization toward biorefinery using meshophilic Clostridial species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamaru, Yutaka; Lopez Contreras, A.M.

2013-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass such as agricultural, industrial, and forestry residues as well as
dedicated crops constitute renewable and abundant resources with great potential for a lowcost
and uniquely sustainable bioconversion to value-added bioproducts. Thus, many
organic fuels and

Green Processing of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Its Derivatives in Deep Eutectic Solvents.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xing; Zuo, Miao; Li, Zheng; Liu, Huai; Xiong, Caixia; Zeng, Xianhai; Sun, Yong; Hu, Lei; Liu, Shijie; Lei, Tingzhou; Lin, Lu

2017-07-10

The scientific community has been seeking cost-competitive and green solvents with good dissolving capacity for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass. At this point, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are currently emerging as a new class of promising solvents that are generally liquid eutectic mixtures formed by self-association (or hydrogen-bonding interaction) of two or three components. DESs are attractive solvents for the fractionation (or pretreatment) of lignocellulose and the valorization of lignin, owing to the high solubility of lignin in DESs. DESs are also employed as effective media for the modification of cellulose to afford functionalized cellulosic materials, such as cellulose nanocrystals. More interestingly, biomassderived carbohydrates, such as fructose, can be used as one of the constituents of DESs and then dehydrated to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in high yield. In this review, a comprehensive summary of recent contribution of DESs to the processing of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives is provided. Moreover, further discussion about the challenges of the application of DESs in biomass processing is presented. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Heterogeneous base-catalyzed methanolysis of vegetable oils: State of art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miladinović Marija R.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Today, homogeneous base-catalyzed methanolysis is most frequently used method for industrial biodiesel production. High requirements for the quality of feedstocks and the problems related to a huge amount of wastewaters have led to the development of novel biodiesel production technologies. Among them, the most important is heterogeneous base-catalyzed methanolysis, which has been intensively investigated in the last decade in order to develop new catalytic systems, to optimize the reaction conditions and to recycle catalysts. These studies are a base for developing continuous biodiesel production on industrial scale in near future. The present work summarizes up-to-date studies on biodiesel production by heterogeneous base-catalyzed methanolysis. The main goals were to point out the application of different base compounds as catalysts, the methods of catalyst preparation, impregnation on carriers and recycling as well as the possibilities to improve existing base-catalyzed biodiesel production processes and to develop novel ones.

Enzymology of lignocellulose bioconversion by Streptomyces viridosporus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramachandra, M.

1989-01-01

Significant progress has been made in lignin biodegradation research since 1983, when lignin peroxidases were discovered in fungi. A similar breakthrough in bacterial lignin biodegradation research is anticipated. Several laboratories have successfully demonstrated the ability of bacteria to mineralize [ 14 C]-lignin lignocelluloses as well as 14 C-labelled synthetic lignins. Attempts are being made to identify the key enzymes involved. In this dissertation, two studies are presented which address the enzymology of lignin biodegradation by Streptomyces viridosporus. The first study compares selected extracellular enzyme of wild-type and genetically manipulated strains with enhanced abilities to produced a water soluble lignin degradation intermediate, designated acid-precipitable polymeric lignin (APPL). UV irradiation mutant T7A-81 and protoplast fusion recombinant SR-10 had higher and longer persisting peroxidase, esterase, and endoglucanase activity than did the wild type strain T7A. An extracellular lignocellulose-induced peroxidase with some similarities to fungal ligninases was described for the first time in Streptomyces. The second study describes purification and characterization of an extracellular lignin peroxidase produced by S. viridosporus T7A. This is the first report of a lignin peroxidase in any bacterium

The Rheology behind Stress-Induced Solidification in Native Silk Feedstocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Laity, Peter R; Holland, Chris

2016-10-29

The mechanism by which native silk feedstocks are converted to solid fibres in nature has attracted much interest. To address this question, the present work used rheology to investigate the gelation of Bombyx mori native silk feedstock. Exceeding a critical shear stress appeared to be more important than shear rate, during flow-induced initiation. Compositional changes (salts, pH etc.,) were not required, although their possible role in vivo is not excluded. Moreover, after successful initiation, gel strength continued to increase over a considerable time under effectively quiescent conditions, without requiring further application of the initial stimulus. Gelation by elevated temperature or freezing was also observed. Prior to gelation, literature suggests that silk protein adopts a random coil configuration, which argued against the conventional explanation of gelation, based on hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. Instead, a new hypothesis is presented, based on entropically-driven loss of hydration, which appears to explain the apparently diverse methods by which silk feedstocks can be gelled.

The Rheology behind Stress-Induced Solidification in Native Silk Feedstocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter R. Laity

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The mechanism by which native silk feedstocks are converted to solid fibres in nature has attracted much interest. To address this question, the present work used rheology to investigate the gelation of Bombyx mori native silk feedstock. Exceeding a critical shear stress appeared to be more important than shear rate, during flow-induced initiation. Compositional changes (salts, pH etc., were not required, although their possible role in vivo is not excluded. Moreover, after successful initiation, gel strength continued to increase over a considerable time under effectively quiescent conditions, without requiring further application of the initial stimulus. Gelation by elevated temperature or freezing was also observed. Prior to gelation, literature suggests that silk protein adopts a random coil configuration, which argued against the conventional explanation of gelation, based on hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. Instead, a new hypothesis is presented, based on entropically-driven loss of hydration, which appears to explain the apparently diverse methods by which silk feedstocks can be gelled.

Plant-based biofuels [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth E. Hood

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This review is a short synopsis of some of the latest breakthroughs in the areas of lignocellulosic conversion to fuels and utilization of oils for biodiesel. Although four lignocellulosic ethanol factories have opened in the USA and hundreds of biodiesel installations are active worldwide, technological improvements are being discovered that will rapidly evolve the biofuels industry into a new paradigm. These discoveries involve the feedstocks as well as the technologies to process them.

Microbial Production of l-Serine from Renewable Feedstocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaomei; Xu, Guoqiang; Shi, Jinsong; Koffas, Mattheos A G; Xu, Zhenghong

2018-07-01

l-Serine is a non-essential amino acid that has wide and expanding applications in industry with a fast-growing market demand. Currently, extraction and enzymatic catalysis are the main processes for l-serine production. However, such approaches limit the industrial-scale applications of this important amino acid. Therefore, shifting to the direct fermentative production of l-serine from renewable feedstocks has attracted increasing attention. This review details the current status of microbial production of l-serine from renewable feedstocks. We also summarize the current trends in metabolic engineering strategies and techniques for the typical industrial organisms Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli that have been developed to address and overcome major challenges in the l-serine production process. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of biomass feedstock chemical and physical properties on energy conversion processes: Volume 2, Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butner, R.S.; Elliott, D.C.; Sealock, L.J., Jr.; Pyne, J.W.

1988-12-01

This report presents an exploration of the relationships between biomass feedstocks and the conversion processes that utilize them. Specifically, it discusses the effect of the physical and chemical structure of biomass on conversion yields, rates, and efficiencies in a wide variety of available or experimental conversion processes. A greater understanding of the complex relationships between these conversion systems and the production of biomass for energy uses is required to help optimize the complex network of biomass production, collection, transportation, and conversion to useful energy products. The review of the literature confirmed the scarcity of research aimed specifically at identifying the effect of feedstock properties on conversion. In most cases, any mention of feedstock-related effects was limited to a few brief remarks (usually in qualitative terms) in the conclusions, or as a topic for further research. Attempts to determine the importance of feedstock parameters from published data were further hampered by the lack of consistent feedstock characterization and the difficulty of comparing results between different experimental systems. Further research will be required to establish quantitative relationships between feedstocks and performance criteria in conversion. 127 refs., 4 figs., 7 tabs.

Recent advances in pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-04-20

Apr 20, 2009 ... The barrier to the production and recovery of valuable materials from LCW is the structure of lignocellulose which has evolved to resist degradation due to cross- linking between the polysaccharides (cellulose and hemi- cellulose) and the lignin via ester and ether linkages (Yan and Shuya, 2006; Xiao et al., ...

Synthesis of fuels and feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sutton, Andrew D.; Brooks, Ty; Jenkins, Rhodri; Moore, Cameron; Staples, Orion

2017-10-10

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method for making fuels and feedstocks from readily available alcohol starting materials. In some embodiments, the method concerns converting alcohols to carbonyl-containing compounds and then condensing such carbonyl-containing compounds together to form oligomerized species. These oligomerized species can then be reduced using by-products from the conversion of the alcohol. In some embodiments, the method further comprises converting saturated, oligomerized, carbonyl-containing compounds to aliphatic fuels.

Effect of multiple-feedstock strategy on the economic and environmental performance of thermochemical ethanol production under extreme weather conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kou, Nannan; Zhao, Fu

2011-01-01

Current US transportation sector mainly relies on liquid hydrocarbons derived from petroleum and about 60% of the petroleum consumed is from areas where supply may be disturbed by regional instability. This has led to serious concerns on energy security and global warming. To address these issues, numerous alternative energy carriers have been proposed. Among them, second generation biofuel is one of the most promising technologies. Gasification-based thermochemical conversion will bring flexibility to both feedstock and production sides of a plant, thus presents an attractive technical route to address both the energy security and global warming concerns. In this paper, thermochemical ethanol production using multiple-feedstock (corn stover, municipal solid waste, and wood chips) is simulated using Aspen Plus and compared with the single-feedstock scenario, in terms of economic performances, life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and survivability under extreme weather conditions. For a hypothetical facility in southwest Indiana it is found that multiple-feedstock strategy improves the net present value by 18% compared to single-feedstock strategy. This margin is increased to 57% when effects of extreme weather conditions on feedstock supply are considered. Moreover, multiple-feedstock fuel plant has no potential risk of bankruptcy during the payback period, while single-feedstock fuel plant has a 75% chance of bankruptcy. Although the multiple-feedstock strategy has 26% more GHG emission per liter of ethanol produced than the single-feedstock strategy, the trend is reversed if feedstock supply disruption is taken into account. Thus the idea of multiple-feedstock strategy is proposed to the future thermo chemical biofuel plants.

Acceptable contamination levels in solar grade silicon: From feedstock to solar cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofstetter, J.; Lelievre, J.F.; Canizo, C.; Luque, A. del

2009-01-01

Ultimately, alternative ways of silicon purification for photovoltaic applications are developed and applied. There is an ongoing debate about what are the acceptable contamination levels within the purified silicon feedstock to specify the material as solar grade silicon. Applying a simple model and making some additional assumptions, we calculate the acceptable contamination levels of different characteristic impurities for each fabrication step of a typical industrial mc-Si solar cell. The acceptable impurity concentrations within the finished solar cell are calculated for SRH recombination exclusively and under low injection conditions. It is assumed that during solar cell fabrication impurity concentrations are only altered by a gettering step. During the crystallization process, impurity segregation at the solid-liquid interface and at extended defects are taken into account. Finally, the initial contamination levels allowed within the feedstock are deduced. The acceptable concentration of iron in the finished solar cell is determined to be 9.7x10 -3 ppma whereas the concentration in the silicon feedstock can be as high as 12.5 ppma. In comparison, the titanium concentration admitted in the solar cell is calculated to be 2.7x10 -4 ppma and the allowed concentration of 2.2x10 -2 ppma in the feedstock is only two orders of magnitude higher. Finally, it is shown theoretically and experimentally that slow cooling rates can lead to a decrease of the interstitial Fe concentration and thus relax the purity requirements in the feedstock.

Separation technologies for the recovery and dehydration of alcohols from fermentation broths

Science.gov (United States)

Multi-column distillation followed by molecular sieve adsorption is currently the standard method for producing fuel grade ethanol from dilute fermentation broths in modern corn-to-ethnol facilities. As the liquid biofuels industry transitions to lignocellulosic feedstocks, expan...

Fermentation of undetoxified sugarcane bagasse hydrolyzates using a two stage hydrothermal and mechanical refining pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Economical and environmentally friendly pretreatment technologies are required for commercial conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to fermentable sugars for fermentation to biofuels. In this paper, a novel pretreatment technology was developed for conversion of sugarcane bagasse into ethanol usi...

A graphene screen-printed carbon electrode for real-time measurements of unoccupied active sites in a cellulase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cruys-Bagger, Nicolaj; Tatsumi, Hirosuke; Borch, Kim

2014-01-01

Cellulases hydrolyze cellulose to soluble sugars and this process is utilized in sustainable industries based on lignocellulosic feedstock. Better analytical tools will be necessary to understand basic cellulase mechanisms, and hence deliver rational improvements of the industrial process...

Feasibility of removing furfurals from sugar solutions using activated biochars made from agricultural residues

Science.gov (United States)

Lignocellulosic feedstocks are often prepared for ethanol fermentation by treatment with a dilute mineral acid catalyst that hydrolyzes the hemicellulose and possibly cellulose into soluble carbohydrates. The acid catalyzed reaction scheme is sequential whereby released monosaccharides are further ...

A bioenergy feedstock/vegetable double-cropping system

Science.gov (United States)

Certain warm-season vegetable crops may lend themselves to bioenergy double-cropping systems, which involve growing a winter annual bioenergy feedstock crop followed by a summer annual crop. The objective of the study was to compare crop productivity and weed communities in different pumpkin product...

Expected international demand for woody and herbaceous feedstock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamers, Patrick [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Jacobson, Jacob [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Mohammad, Roni [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Wright, Christopher [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-03-01

The development of a U.S. bioenergy market and ultimately ‘bioeconomy’ has primarily been investigated with a national focus. Limited attention has been given to the potential impacts of international market developments. The goal of this project is to advance the current State of Technology of a single biorefinery to the global level providing quantitative estimates on how international markets may influence the domestic feedstock supply costs. The scope of the project is limited to feedstock that is currently available and new crops being developed to be used in a future U.S. bioeconomy including herbaceous residues (e.g., corn stover), woody biomass (e.g., pulpwood), and energy crops (e.g., switchgrass). The timeframe is set to the periods of 2022, 2030, and 2040 to align with current policy targets (e.g., the RFS2) and future updates of the Billion Ton data. This particular milestone delivers demand volumes for generic woody and herbaceous feedstocks for the main (net) importing regions along the above timeframes. The regional focus of the study is the European Union (EU), currently the largest demand region for U.S. pellets made from pulpwood and forest residues. The pellets are predominantly used in large-scale power plants (>5MWel) in the United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands (NL), Belgium (BE), and Denmark (DK).

Single cell oil of oleaginous fungi from the tropical mangrove wetlands as a potential feedstock for biodiesel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khot Mahesh

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Single cell oils (SCOs accumulated by oleaginous fungi have emerged as a potential alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Though fungi from mangrove ecosystem have been reported for production of several lignocellulolytic enzymes, they remain unexplored for their SCO producing ability. Thus, these oleaginous fungi from the mangrove ecosystem could be suitable candidates for production of SCOs from lignocellulosic biomass. The accumulation of lipids being species specific, strain selection is critical and therefore, it is of importance to evaluate the fungal diversity of mangrove wetlands. The whole cells of these fungi were investigated with respect to oleaginicity, cell mass, lipid content, fatty acid methyl ester profiles and physicochemical properties of transesterified SCOs in order to explore their potential for biodiesel production. Results In the present study, 14 yeasts and filamentous fungi were isolated from the detritus based mangrove wetlands along the Indian west coast. Nile red staining revealed that lipid bodies were present in 5 of the 14 fungal isolates. Lipid extraction showed that these fungi were able to accumulate > 20% (w/w of their dry cell mass (4.14 - 6.44 g L-1 as lipids with neutral lipid as the major fraction. The profile of transesterified SCOs revealed a high content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids i.e., palmitic (C16:0, stearic (C18:0 and oleic (C18:1 acids similar to conventional vegetable oils used for biodiesel production. The experimentally determined and predicted biodiesel properties for 3 fungal isolates correlated well with the specified standards. Isolate IBB M1, with the highest SCO yield and containing high amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid was identified as Aspergillus terreus using morphotaxonomic study and 18 S rRNA gene sequencing. Batch flask cultures with varying initial glucose concentration revealed that maximal cell biomass

Single cell oil of oleaginous fungi from the tropical mangrove wetlands as a potential feedstock for biodiesel.

Science.gov (United States)

Khot, Mahesh; Kamat, Srijay; Zinjarde, Smita; Pant, Aditi; Chopade, Balu; Ravikumar, Ameeta

2012-05-30

Single cell oils (SCOs) accumulated by oleaginous fungi have emerged as a potential alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Though fungi from mangrove ecosystem have been reported for production of several lignocellulolytic enzymes, they remain unexplored for their SCO producing ability. Thus, these oleaginous fungi from the mangrove ecosystem could be suitable candidates for production of SCOs from lignocellulosic biomass. The accumulation of lipids being species specific, strain selection is critical and therefore, it is of importance to evaluate the fungal diversity of mangrove wetlands. The whole cells of these fungi were investigated with respect to oleaginicity, cell mass, lipid content, fatty acid methyl ester profiles and physicochemical properties of transesterified SCOs in order to explore their potential for biodiesel production. In the present study, 14 yeasts and filamentous fungi were isolated from the detritus based mangrove wetlands along the Indian west coast. Nile red staining revealed that lipid bodies were present in 5 of the 14 fungal isolates. Lipid extraction showed that these fungi were able to accumulate > 20% (w/w) of their dry cell mass (4.14 - 6.44 g L-1) as lipids with neutral lipid as the major fraction. The profile of transesterified SCOs revealed a high content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids i.e., palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0) and oleic (C18:1) acids similar to conventional vegetable oils used for biodiesel production. The experimentally determined and predicted biodiesel properties for 3 fungal isolates correlated well with the specified standards. Isolate IBB M1, with the highest SCO yield and containing high amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid was identified as Aspergillus terreus using morphotaxonomic study and 18 S rRNA gene sequencing. Batch flask cultures with varying initial glucose concentration revealed that maximal cell biomass and lipid content were obtained at 30gL-1

Efficient utilization of renewable feedstocks: the role of catalysis and process design

Science.gov (United States)

Palkovits, Regina; Delidovich, Irina

2017-11-01

Renewable carbon feedstocks such as biomass and CO2 present an important element of future circular economy. Especially biomass as highly functionalized feedstock provides manifold opportunities for the transformation into attractive platform chemicals. However, this change of the resources requires a paradigm shift in refinery design. Fossil feedstocks are processed in gas phase at elevated temperature. In contrast, biorefineries are based on processes in polar solvents at moderate conditions to selectively deoxygenate the polar, often thermally instable and high-boiling molecules. Here, challenges of catalytic deoxygenation, novel strategies for separation and opportunities provided at the interface to biotechnology are discussed in form of showcases. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Providing sustainable catalytic solutions for a rapidly changing world'.

Precultivation of Bacillus coagulans DSM2314 in the presence of furfural decreases inhibitory effects of lignocellulosic by-products during l(+)-lactic acid fermentation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pol, van der Edwin; Springer, Jan; Vriesendorp, Bastienne; Weusthuis, Ruud; Eggink, Gerrit

2016-01-01

By-products resulting from thermo-chemical pretreatment of lignocellulose can inhibit fermentation of lignocellulosic sugars to lactic acid. Furfural is such a by-product, which is formed during acid pretreatment of lignocellulose. pH-controlled fermentations with 1 L starting volume, containing

Membrane-based recovery and dehydration of alcohols from fermentation broths - of materials and modules

Science.gov (United States)

Distillation combined with molecular sieve dehydration is the current state of the art for fuel grade ethanol production from fermentation broths. As the liquid biofuels industry transitions to lignocellulosic feedstocks, expands the end product portfolio to include other alcoho...

Combination of ensiling and fungal delignification as effective wheat straw pretreatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Sune T.; Londono, Jorge E. G.; Ambye-Jensen, Morten

2016-01-01

Background: Utilization of lignocellulosic feedstocks for bioenergy production in developing countries demands competitive but low-tech conversion routes. White-rot fungi (WRF) inoculation and ensiling are two methods previously investigated for low-tech pretreatment of biomasses such as wheat...

A dynamic flux balance model and bottleneck identification of glucose, xylose, xylulose co-fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Science.gov (United States)

Economically viable production of lignocellulosic ethanol requires efficient conversion of feedstock sugars to ethanol. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot ferment xylose, the main five-carbon sugars in biomass, but can ferment xylulose, an enzymatically derived isomer. Xylulose fermentation is slow rel...

Hydrogen production via catalytic processing of renewable feedstocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazim Muradov; Franklyn Smith; Ali T-Raissi

2006-01-01

Landfill gas (LFG) and biogas can potentially become important feedstocks for renewable hydrogen production. The objectives of this work were: (1) to develop a catalytic process for direct reforming of CH 4 -CO 2 gaseous mixture mimicking LFG, (2) perform thermodynamic analysis of the reforming process using AspenPlus chemical process simulator, (3) determine operational conditions for auto-thermal (or thermo-neutral) reforming of a model CH 4 -CO 2 feedstock, and (4) fabricate and test a bench-scale hydrogen production unit. Experimental data obtained from catalytic reformation of the CH 4 -CO 2 and CH 4 -CO 2 -O 2 gaseous mixtures using Ni-catalyst were in a good agreement with the simulation results. It was demonstrated that catalytic reforming of LFG-mimicking gas produced hydrogen with the purity of 99.9 vol.%. (authors)

[Degradation of lignocellulose in the corn straw by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MN-8].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hong-ya; Li, Shu-na; Wang, Shu-xiang; Wang, Quan; Xue, Yin-yin; Zhu, Bao-cheng

2015-05-01

Microbial degradation of lignocellulose is one of the key problems that need to be solved urgently in the process of utilizing biomass resource. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MN-8 is our previously isolated bacterium capable of degrading lignin. To determine the capability of strain MN-8 to degrade lignocellulose of corn straw, B. amyloliquefaciens MN-8 was inoculated and fermented with solid-state corn straw powder-MSM culture medium. The changes in the enzyme activity and degradation products of lignocellulose were monitored in the process of fermentation using the FTIR and GC/MS. The results showed that B. amyloliquefaciens MN-8 could produce lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, cellulase and hemicellulase enzymes. The activities of all these enzymes reached the peak after being incubated for 10-16 days, and the highest enzyme activities were 55.0, 16.7, 45.4 and 60.5 U · g(-1), respectively. After 24 d of incubation, the degradation percentages of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose were up to 42.9%, 40.6% and 27.1%, respectively. The spectroscopic data by FTIR indicated that the intensities of characteristic absorption peaks of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose of the corn straw were decreased, indicating that the lignocellulose was degraded partly after being fermented by B. amyloliquefaciens MN-8. GC/MS analysis also demonstrated that strain MN-8 could degrade lignocellulose efficiently. It could depolymerize lignin into some monomeric compounds with retention of phenylpropane structure unit, such as amphetamine, benzene acetone and benzene propanoic acids, by the rupture of β-O-4 bond connected between lignin monomer, and it further oxidized some monomer compounds into Cα carbonyl compounds, such as 2-amino-1-benzeneacetone and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-acetophenone. The GC/MS analysis of the degradation products of cellulose and hemicellulose showed that there were not only monosaccharide compounds, such as glucose, mannose and galactose, but also some

Efficacy of fatty acid profile as a tool for screening feedstocks for biodiesel production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moser, Bryan R.; Vaughn, Steven F.

2012-01-01

Fuel properties are largely dependent on the fatty acid (FA) composition of the feedstock from which biodiesel is prepared. Consequently, FA profile was employed as a screening tool for selection of feedstocks high in monounsaturated FAs for further evaluation as biodiesel. Those feedstocks included ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima L.), anise (Pimpinella anisum L.), arugula (Eruca vesicaria L.), cress (Lepidium sativum L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), Indian cress (Tropaeolum majus L.), shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris L.) and upland cress (Barbarea verna (Mill.) Asch.). Other selection criteria included saturated FA content, iodine value (IV), content of FAs containing twenty or more carbons and content of trienoic FAs. Anise oil satisfied all selection criteria and was therefore selected for further investigation. Arugula, cumin and upland cress oils were selected as antagonists to the selection criteria. Preparation of FA methyl esters (FAMEs, ≥ 92 wt % yield) following conventional alkaline-catalyzed methanolysis preceded fuel property determination. Of particular interest were oxidative stability and cold flow properties. Also measured were kinematic viscosity (40 °C), IV, acid value, free and total glycerol content, sulfur and phosphorous content, cetane number, energy content and lubricity. FAMEs prepared from anise oil yielded properties compliant with biodiesel standards ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 whereas the antagonists failed at least one specification contained within the standards. As a result, FA profile was an efficient predictor of compliance with biodiesel standards and is therefore recommended as a screening tool for investigation of alternative feedstocks. -- Highlights: ► Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared from several alternative feedstocks. ► Fatty acid composition was a principal factor influencing fuel properties. ► Oxidative stability and cold flow properties of biodiesel were examined in detail. ► Limits were developed

Enzymatic hydrolyzing performance of Acremonium cellulolyticus and Trichoderma reesei against three lignocellulosic materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murakami Katsuji

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bioethanol isolated from lignocellulosic biomass represents one of the most promising renewable and carbon neutral alternative liquid fuel sources. Enzymatic saccharification using cellulase has proven to be a useful method in the production of bioethanol. The filamentous fungi Acremonium cellulolyticus and Trichoderma reesei are known to be potential cellulase producers. In this study, we aimed to reveal the advantages and disadvantages of the cellulase enzymes derived from these fungi. Results We compared A. cellulolyticus and T. reesei cellulase activity against the three lignocellulosic materials: eucalyptus, Douglas fir and rice straw. Saccharification analysis using the supernatant from each culture demonstrated that the enzyme mixture derived from A. cellulolyticus exhibited 2-fold and 16-fold increases in Filter Paper enzyme and β-glucosidase specific activities, respectively, compared with that derived from T. reesei. In addition, culture supernatant from A. cellulolyticus produced glucose more rapidly from the lignocellulosic materials. Meanwhile, culture supernatant derived from T. reesei exhibited a 2-fold higher xylan-hydrolyzing activity and produced more xylose from eucalyptus (72% yield and rice straw (43% yield. Although the commercial enzymes Acremonium cellulase (derived from A. cellulolyticus, Meiji Seika Co. demonstrated a slightly lower cellulase specific activity than Accellerase 1000 (derived from T. reesei, Genencor, the glucose yield (over 65% from lignocellulosic materials by Acremonium cellulase was higher than that of Accellerase 1000 (less than 60%. In addition, the mannan-hydrolyzing activity of Acremonium cellulase was 16-fold higher than that of Accellerase 1000, and the conversion of mannan to mannobiose and mannose by Acremonium cellulase was more efficient. Conclusion We investigated the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials by cellulase derived from two types of filamentous fungi. We

Separation of lignocelluloses from spent liquor of NSSC pulping process via adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Dashtban, Mehdi; Gilbert, Allan; Fatehi, Pedram

2014-04-01

Hemicelluloses and lignin present in the spent liquor (SL) of neutral sulfite semichemical (NSSC) pulping process can potentially be converted into value-added products such as furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid, phenols and adhesives. However, the direct conversion of hemicelluloses and lignin of SL into value-added products is uneconomical due to the dilute nature of the SL. To have a feasible downstream process for utilizing lignocelluloses of SL, the lignocelluloses should initially be separated from the SL. In this study, an adsorption process (via applying activated carbon) was considered for isolating the dissolved lignin and hemicelluloses from the SL of an NSSC pulping process. Under the optimal conditions of pH, SL/AC weight ratio, time and temperature of 5.7, 30, 360 min and 30 °C, the maximum lignin and hemicellulose adsorptions were 0.33 and 0.25 g/g on AC. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity of the SL were decreased by 11% and 39%, respectively, as a result of lignocellulose adsorption on AC. Also, the incineration behavior of the SL-treated AC was studied with a thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent progress in synthesis and surface functionalization of mesoporous acidic heterogeneous catalysts for esterification of free fatty acid feedstocks: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soltani, Soroush; Rashid, Umer; Al-Resayes, Saud Ibrahim; Nehdi, Imededdine Arbi

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Mesoporous catalysts have potential to esterify the wastes feedstocks. • Surface area of mesoporous catalysts depends on materials synthesis methods. • Hydrophobic surface of sulfonated catalyst causes adsorption on FFA particles. • Mesoporous catalysts have large active sites to trap free fatty acids particles. • Recyclability of mesoporous catalyst is a key feature for biodiesel production. - Abstract: Biodiesel is considered as a sulfur free, non-toxic and biodegradable source of energy and its burning provide less pollution than petroleum based fuels. In case of using fried waste oils, animal’s fats and waste cultivated oil which contain high free fatty acid (FFA), esterification is taking place. Through esterification reaction, catalyst is an integral part which accelerates the FFA conversion to the methyl ester (ME) in shorter reaction time. Although, most of the current catalysts have some defect such as poor recyclability, less surface area and poor porosity. Mesoporous materials have been recently attracted remarkable interests because of its desirable properties, such as large and harmonized surface area, tuneable mesoporous channels with flexible pore size, excellent thermal stability, and post-functionalization surface characteristics. The combination of remarkable physico-chemical and textural properties as well as high activity has proposed them as advanced materials. In this review, it has been attempted to present the details of fundamental properties of mesoporous catalysts, various synthetic methods and formation mechanisms, and surface functionalization methodologies. The effects of various factors (such as surface area, porosity, acidity, post-calcination temperature, and reaction parameters) on esterification of different feedstocks are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the kinetic study of esterification reaction in the presence of mesoporous catalysts is also elaborated. At the end, remarkable challenges and outlooks

Potential bioethanol feedstock availability around nine locations in the Republic of Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deverell, R.; McDonnell, K.; Devlin, G.

2009-01-01

The Republic of Ireland, like many other countries is trying to diversify energy sources to counteract environmental, political and social concerns. Bioethanol from domestically grown agricultural crops is an indigenously produced alternative fuel that can potentially go towards meeting the goal of diversified energy supply. The Republic of Ireland's distribution of existing soils and agricultural land-uses limit arable crop land to around 10% of total agricultural area. Demand for land to produce arable crops is expected to decrease, which could open the opportunity for bioethanol production. Bioethanol production plants are required to be of a sufficient scale in order to compete economically with other fuel sources, it is important therefore to determine if enough land exists around potential ethanol plant locations to meet the potential demands for feedstock. This study determines, through the use of a developed GIS based model, the potential quantities of feedstock that is available in the hinterlands of nine locations in the Republic of Ireland. The results indicate that three locations can meet all its feedstock demands using indigenously grown sugarbeet, while only one location can meet its demands using a combination of indigenous wheat and straw as the two locally sourced feedstocks. (author)

Market penetration of ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szulczyk, Kenneth R.; McCarl, Bruce A.; Cornforth, Gerald

2010-01-01

This research examines in detail the technology and economics of substituting ethanol for gasoline. This endeavor examines three issues. First, the benefits of ethanol/gasoline blends are examined, and then the technical problems of large-scale implementation of ethanol. Second, ethanol production possibilities are examined in detail from a variety of feedstocks and technologies. The feedstocks are the starch/sugar crops and crop residues, while the technologies are corn wet mill, dry grind, and lignocellulosic fermentation. Examining in detail the production possibilities allows the researchers to identity the extent of technological change, production costs, byproducts, and GHG emissions. Finally, a U.S. agricultural model, FASOMGHG, is updated which predicts the market penetration of ethanol given technological progress, variety of technologies and feedstocks, market interactions, energy prices, and GHG prices. FASOMGHG has several interesting results. First, gasoline prices have a small expansionary impact on the U.S. ethanol industry. Both agricultural producers' income and cost both increase with higher energy prices. If wholesale gasoline is $4 per gallon, the predicted ethanol market penetration attains 53% of U.S. gasoline consumption in 2030. Second, the corn wet mill remains an important industry for ethanol production, because this industry also produces corn oil, which could be converted to biodiesel. Third, GHG prices expand the ethanol industry. However, the GHG price expands the corn wet mill, but has an ambiguous impact on lignocellulosic ethanol. Feedstocks for lignocellulosic fermentation can also be burned with coal to generate electricity. Both industries are quite GHG efficient. Finally, U.S. government subsidies on biofuels have an expansionary impact on ethanol production, but may only increase market penetration by an additional 1% in 2030, which is approximately 6 billion gallons. (author)

Analysis of the potential for biodiesel production in Cuba of lignocellulosic biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcalá-Galiano Morell, Diana Deisy; Cujilema Qutio, Mario C.; Leon Revelo, Gualberto; Márquez Peñamaría, Grety; Morell Nápoles, Giselle; Ramos Sánchez, Luis B.; Fikers, Patrick

2015-01-01

The use of lignocellulosic biomass available in the country is a significant source of renewable energy (RES) to the planned development in the coming years. The relevance of the work in this direction has been endorsed in the new policy on FRE was approved last June. Among the various chemical routes to take to get energy biofuels of great importance it stands to meet growing demand in the transport sector. In this paper the strategy of research and technological development is being followed at the University of Camaguey to create conditions for pilot production of bioethanol and biodiesel lignocellulosic scale is discussed. (full text)

Techno-economic analysis of a biomass depot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacobson, Jacob Jordan [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Lamers, Patrick [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Roni, Mohammad Sadekuzzaman [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Cafferty, Kara Grace [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Kenney, Kevin Louis [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Heath, Brendi May [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Hansen, Jason K [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-10-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) promotes the production of an array of liquid fuels and fuel blendstocks from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass collection, conversion, and sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the technical, economic, and environmental performance of different feedstock supply systems and their impacts on the downstream conversion processes.

Biomass refining for sustainable development : analysis and directions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luo, Lin

2010-01-01

To understand the contribution of biomass refining to sustainable development, the technical, environmental and economic aspects are summarized in this thesis. This work begins from life cycle assessment (LCA) of bioethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks such as corn stover, sugarcane and bagasse,

Impact of Different Lignin Fractions on Saccharification Efficiency in Diverse Species of the Bioenergy Crop Miscanthus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weijde, van der Tim; Torres Salvador, Andres Francisco; Dolstra, Oene; Dechesne, Annemarie; Visser, Richard G.F.; Trindade, Luisa M.

2016-01-01

Lignin is a key factor limiting saccharification of lignocellulosic feedstocks. In this comparative study, various lignin methods—including acetyl bromide lignin (ABL), acid detergent lignin (ADL), Klason lignin (KL), and modified ADL and KL determination methods—were evaluated for their

Comparison of ethanol production from corn cobs and switchgrass following a pyrolysis-based biorefinery approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luque, Luis; Oudenhoven, Stijn; Westerhof, Roel Johannes Maria; van Rossum, G.; Berruti, Franco; Kersten, Sascha R.A.; Rehmann, Lars

2016-01-01

Background One of the main obstacles in lignocellulosic ethanol production is the necessity of pretreatment and fractionation of the biomass feedstocks to produce sufficiently pure fermentable carbohydrates. In addition, the by-products (hemicellulose and lignin fraction) are of low value, when

Evaluation of minimal Trichoderma reesei cellulase mixtures on differently pretreated barley straw substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosgaard, Lisa; Pedersen, Sven; Langston, Jim

2007-01-01

The commercial cellulase product Celluclast 1.5, derived from Trichoderma reesei (Novozymes A/S, Bagsv ae rd, Denmark), is widely employed for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks. This enzyme preparation contains a broad spectrum of cellulolytic enzyme activities, most notably...

Evaluation of Minimal Trichoderma reesei Cellulase Mixtures on Differently Pretreated Barley Straw Substrate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosgaard, Lisa; Pedersen, Sven; Langston, J

2007-01-01

The commercial cellulase product Celluclast 1.5, derived from Trichoderma reesei (Novozymes A/S, Bagsv ae rd, Denmark), is widely employed for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks. This enzyme preparation contains a broad spectrum of cellulolytic enzyme activities, most notably...

Improving ethanol yield in acetate-reducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae by cofactor engineering of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and deletion of ALD6

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papapetridis, I.; van Dijk, M.; Dobbe, Arthur P A; Metz, B.; Pronk, J.T.; van Maris, A.J.A.

2016-01-01

Background: Acetic acid, an inhibitor of sugar fermentation by yeast, is invariably present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates which are used or considered as feedstocks for yeast-based bioethanol production. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains have been constructed, in which anaerobic reduction of

SINGLE-CELL PROTEIN-QUALITY PRODUCED FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC MATERIALS BY THE ASCOMYCETE CHRYSONILIA-SITOPHILA (TFB-27441 STRAIN)

OpenAIRE

DURAN, N; RODRIGUEZ, J; CAMPOS, V; FERRAZ, A; REYES, JL; AMAYAFARFAN, J; ESPOSITO, E; ADAO, F; BAEZA, J; FREER, J; URIZAR, S

1994-01-01

Data are presented for amino acid contents of fifteen carbohydrates, lignocellulosic materials, including olive milling waste water. The selected substrate were: glucose, cellobiose, saccharose, microcrystalline cellulose, tannin, phlobaphene, bark, lignocellulose residue, sugar residue from organosolv process, rice hull, irradiated rice hull, orange bagasse, alpechin (5%), alpechin (10%) and irradiated alpechin (10%). Ratios of some amino acids of nutritional significance in conventional pro...

Utilization of selected biorenewable resources: solubilization of lignocellulosics and conjugation of soybean oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oshel, Reed E. [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2007-01-01

In recent years, concern has risen over the use of fossil fuels due to their contribution to global warming, and to our dependence on imports of petroleum from nations that could pose a threat to national security. As a result, it has become increasingly important to develop technologies to replace fossil fuel based products with biorenewable alternatives. In this thesis nearly quantitative solubilization of lignocellulosic materials using phosphite esters has been realized, and is presented as a potential pretreatment for production of fermentable sugars for use in manufacturing commodity chemicals, specifically ethanol. Water solubilization of lignocellulosics using phosphite esters will enhance digestibility by disrupting the lignocellulose structure, changing cellulose morphology, and cleaving some glycosidic bonds. In a second project, soybean oil, which contains un-conjugated polyunsaturated fatty acid esters, is isomerized into oil containing conjugated polyunsaturates. The process is carried out under photochemical conditions using iodine as a catalyst in a hexanes solution to achieve 99% conjugation. The resulting conjugated soybean oil is demonstrated to have enhanced drying properties for use in alkyd resins.

Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy enables multiscale spatial visualization of ions involved in fungal lignocellulose deconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Grant T. Kirker; Samuel Zelinka; Sophie-Charlotte Gleber; David Vine; Lydia Finney; Si Chen; Young Pyo Hong; Omar Uyarte; Stefan Vogt; Jody Jellison; Barry Goodell; Joseph E. Jakes

2017-01-01

The role of ions in the fungal decay process of lignocellulose biomaterials, and more broadly fungal metabolism, has implications for diverse research disciplines ranging from plant pathology and forest ecology, to carbon sequestration. Despite the importance of ions in fungal decay mechanisms, the spatial distribution and quantification of ions in lignocellulosic cell...

Environmental and energy system analysis of bio-methane production pathways: A comparison between feedstocks and process optimizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierie, F.; Someren, C.E.J. van; Benders, R.M.J.; Bekkering, J.; Gemert, W.J.Th. van; Moll, H.C.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Using local waste feedstock and optimization improves environmental sustainability. • Optimization favors waste feedstocks. • Transport distances should not exceed 150 km. • The produced energy should be used for powering the green gas process first. • The AD process should be used primarily for local waste treatment. - Abstract: The energy efficiency and sustainability of an anaerobic green gas production pathway was evaluated, taking into account five biomass feedstocks, optimization of the green gas production pathway, replacement of current waste management pathways by mitigation, and transport of the feedstocks. Sustainability is expressed by three main factors: efficiency in (Process) Energy Returned On Invested (P)EROI, carbon footprint in Global Warming Potential GWP(100), and environmental impact in EcoPoints. The green gas production pathway operates on a mass fraction of 50% feedstock with 50% manure. The sustainability of the analyzed feedstocks differs substantially, favoring biomass waste flows over, the specially cultivated energy crop, maize. The use of optimization, in the shape of internal energy production, green gas powered trucks, and mitigation can significantly improve the sustainability for all feedstocks, but favors waste materials. Results indicate a possible improvement from an average (P)EROI for all feedstocks of 2.3 up to an average of 7.0 GJ/GJ. The carbon footprint can potentially be reduced from an average of 40 down to 18 kgCO_2eq/GJ. The environmental impact can potentially be reduced from an average of 5.6 down to 1.8 Pt/GJ. Internal energy production proved to be the most effective optimization. However, the use of optimization aforementioned will result in les green gas injected into the gas grid as it is partially consumed internally. Overall, the feedstock straw was the most energy efficient, where the feedstock harvest remains proved to be the most environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, transport

Reactivity of long chain alkylamines to lignin moieties: implications on hydrophobicity of lignocellulose materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudanga, Tukayi; Prasetyo, Endry Nugroho; Sipilä, Jussi; Guebitz, Georg M; Nyanhongo, Gibson S

2010-08-20

Enzymatic processes provide new perspectives for modification of lignocellulose materials. In the current study, laccase catalyzed coupling of long chain alkylamines to lignin model molecules and lignocellulose was investigated. Up to two molecules of dodecylamine (DA) and dihexylamine (DHA) were successfully coupled with lignin monomers (guaiacol, catechol and ferulic acid) while coupling onto complex lignin model compounds (syringylglycerol beta-guaiacyl ether, guaiacylglycerol beta-guaiacyl ether and dibenzodioxocin) yielded 1:1 coupling products. Surface analysis of beech veneers enzymatically grafted with DA showed an increase in nitrogen content of 3.18% compared to 0.71% in laccase only treated controls while the O/C ratio decreased from 0.52 to 0.46. Concomitantly the grafting of DHA or DA onto beech veneers resulted in a 53.8% and 84.2% increase in hydrophobicity, respectively when compared to simple adsorption. Therefore, laccase-mediated grafting of long chain alkylamines onto lignocellulose materials can be potentially exploited for improving their hydrophobicity. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors governing dissolution process of lignocellulosic biomass in ionic liquid: current status, overview and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Badgujar, Kirtikumar C; Bhanage, Bhalchandra M

2015-02-01

The utilisation of non-feed lignocellulosic biomass as a source of renewable bio-energy and synthesis of fine chemical products is necessary for the sustainable development. The methods for the dissolution of lignocellulosic biomass in conventional solvents are complex and tedious due to the complex chemical ultra-structure of biomass. In view of this, recent developments for the use of ionic liquid solvent (IL) has received great attention, as ILs can solubilise such complex biomass and thus provides industrial scale-up potential. In this review, we have discussed the state-of-art for the dissolution of lignocellulosic material in representative ILs. Furthermore, various process parameters and their influence for biomass dissolution were reviewed. In addition to this, overview of challenges and opportunities related to this interesting area is presented. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Watermelon juice: a promising feedstock supplement, diluent, and nitrogen supplement for ethanol biofuel production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruton Benny D

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Two economic factors make watermelon worthy of consideration as a feedstock for ethanol biofuel production. First, about 20% of each annual watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes or because they are misshapen; currently these are lost to growers as a source of revenue. Second, the neutraceutical value of lycopene and L-citrulline obtained from watermelon is at a threshold whereby watermelon could serve as starting material to extract and manufacture these products. Processing of watermelons to produce lycopene and L-citrulline, yields a waste stream of watermelon juice at the rate of over 500 L/t of watermelons. Since watermelon juice contains 7 to 10% (w/v directly fermentable sugars and 15 to 35 μmol/ml of free amino acids, its potential as feedstock, diluent, and nitrogen supplement was investigated in fermentations to produce bioethanol. Results Complete watermelon juice and that which did not contain the chromoplasts (lycopene, but did contain free amino acids, were readily fermentable as the sole feedstock or as diluent, feedstock supplement, and nitrogen supplement to granulated sugar or molasses. A minimum level of ~400 mg N/L (~15 μmol/ml amino nitrogen in watermelon juice was required to achieve maximal fermentation rates when it was employed as the sole nitrogen source for the fermentation. Fermentation at pH 5 produced the highest rate of fermentation for the yeast system that was employed. Utilizing watermelon juice as diluent, supplemental feedstock, and nitrogen source for fermentation of processed sugar or molasses allowed complete fermentation of up to 25% (w/v sugar concentration at pH 3 (0.41 to 0.46 g ethanol per g sugar or up to 35% (w/v sugar concentration at pH 5 with a conversion to 0.36 to 0.41 g ethanol per g sugar. Conclusion Although watermelon juice would have to be concentrated 2.5- to 3-fold to serve as the sole feedstock for ethanol biofuel production, the results

Fungal treated lignocellulosic biomass as ruminant feed ingredient: A review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijk, van S.J.A.; Sonnenberg, A.S.M.; Baars, J.J.P.; Hendriks, W.H.; Cone, J.W.

2015-01-01

In ruminant nutrition, there is an increasing interest for ingredients that do not compete with human nutrition. Ruminants are specialists in digesting carbohydrates in plant cell walls; therefore lignocellulosic biomass has potential in ruminant nutrition. The presence of lignin in biomass,

Comparison of lignocellulose composition in four major species of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

By principal component analysis (PCA), the components ADF and cellulose were the PC1 that were considered the foremost for the evaluation and selection of resource in the four species. The conclusions show that lignocellulose composition contents of Miscanthus culms were different. M. floridulus was more fit to ethanol ...

Effect of dietary lignocellulose on ileal and total tract digestibility of fat and fatty acids in broiler chickens.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogusławska-Tryk, M; Piotrowska, A; Szymeczko, R; Burlikowska, K

2016-12-01

The study was conducted to determine the effect of a lignocellulose supplemented diet on apparent ileal and total tract digestibility of fat and fatty acids (FA) in broiler chickens. A total of 48 21-day-old male Ross 308 chickens were divided into four treatment groups (n = 12) with six replicates per treatment. From 21 to 42 days of age, the broilers were fed experimental diets varied in the amount of lignocellulose: 0%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1%. Total excreta were gathered during the last 3 days of the feeding trial and digesta was collected from the ileum at 42 days of the bird age. Digestibility was determined by the indicator method. The ether extract content in diet/digesta/excreta was determined by the gravimetric method, and fatty acid methyl esters were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fat digestibility measured to the end of the small intestine and in the whole gastrointestinal tract in birds was high and exceeded 90% and 87% respectively. Addition of lignocellulose (1%) increased (p digestibility but had no significant effect on total tract fat digestion. Absorption of total fatty acids (TFA) as well as myristic (C14:0), palmitoleic (C16:1) and α-linolenic (C18:3n-3) acids, estimated by both methods, was significantly higher in birds fed the diets supplemented with lignocellulose, especially at a dose of 1%. Total tract absorption of some dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (C20:2, C20:4n-6) was significantly lower from diet supplemented with 0.5% and 0.25% lignocellulose. There was observed a decrease in apparent digestibility of fat and most examined fatty acids, when measured between terminal ileum and total gastrointestinal tract. The results suggest that lignocellulose can affect digestion and FA absorption in broilers but, as the effect of lignocellulose was not studied previously, further investigations are necessary to confirm the results of the present experiment. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016

Assessing hydrological impacts of tree-based bioenergy feedstock

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gush, Mark B

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This chapter provides a methodology for assessing the hydrological impacts of tree-based bioenergy feedstock. Based on experience gained in South Africa, it discusses the tasks required to reach an understanding of the likely water resource impacts...

pH-Induced Lignin Surface Modification to Reduce Nonspecific Cellulase Binding and Enhance Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocelluloses

Science.gov (United States)

Hongming Lou; J.Y. Zhu; Tian Qing Lan; Huranran Lai; Xueqing Qiu

2013-01-01

We studied the mechanism of the significant enhancement in the enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses at an elevated pH of 5.5–6.0. Four lignin residues with different sulfonic acid contents were isolated from enzymatic hydrolysis of lodgepole pine pretreated by either dilute acid (DA) or sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocelluloses (SPORL...

Recent patents on genetic modification of plants and microbes for biomass conversion to biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Lubieniechi, Simona; Peranantham, Thinesh; Levin, David B

2013-04-01

Development of sustainable energy systems based on renewable biomass feedstocks is now a global effort. Lignocellulosic biomass contains polymers of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, bound together in a complex structure. Liquid biofuels, such as ethanol, can be made from biomass via fermentation of sugars derived from the cellulose and hemicellulose within lignocellulosic materials, but pre-treatment of the biomass to release sugars for microbial conversion is a significant barrier to commercial success of lignocellulosic biofuel production. Strategies to reduce the energy and cost inputs required for biomass pre-treatment include genetic modification of plant materials to reduce lignin content. Significant efforts are also underway to create recombinant microorganisms capable of converting sugars derived from lignocellulosic biomass to a variety of biofuels. An alternative strategy to reduce the costs of cellulosic biofuel production is the use of cellulolytic microorganisms capable of direct microbial conversion of ligno-cellulosic biomass to fuels. This paper reviews recent patents on genetic modification of plants and microbes for biomass conversion to biofuels.

Lignocellulosics to ethanol: The future of the chemical and energy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Energy and environmental issues are among the major concerns facing the global community today. Biofuel technology is now globally embraced as the promising technology to replace fossil fuels. Lignocellulosic waste biomass from forestry, agriculture and municipal sources are abundant, inexpensive and potential ...

State of the art on bioethanol production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barisano, D.; De Bari, I.; Viola, E.; Zimbardi, F.; Braccio, G.; Cantarella, M.; Gallifuoco, A.

2001-01-01

The state of the art, deals with the ethanol production from current processes based on the use of sugar and starch as feedstock and those under development based on lignocellulosic biomass. In the first section are reported the commercially available processes together with hints to the newest technologies. As regard the ethanol production from lignocellulosics, it has been collected data on the biomass availability in Europe as energy crops, industrial crops, agricultural residues and domestic waste. It is provided a bibliographic study on the technologies and processes under development worldwide for the conversion of lignocellulosics into ethanol. Finally, a brief discussion on the economics highlights the near term viability of producing ethanol by this way [it

Greenhouse gas mitigation for U.S. plastics production: energy first, feedstocks later

Science.gov (United States)

Posen, I. Daniel; Jaramillo, Paulina; Landis, Amy E.; Griffin, W. Michael

2017-03-01

Plastics production is responsible for 1% and 3% of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and primary energy use, respectively. Replacing conventional plastics with bio-based plastics (made from renewable feedstocks) is frequently proposed as a way to mitigate these impacts. Comparatively little research has considered the potential for green energy to reduce emissions in this industry. This paper compares two strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. plastics production: using renewable energy or switching to renewable feedstocks. Renewable energy pathways assume all process energy comes from wind power and renewable natural gas derived from landfill gas. Renewable feedstock pathways assume that all commodity thermoplastics will be replaced with polylactic acid (PLA) and bioethylene-based plastics, made using either corn or switchgrass, and powered using either conventional or renewable energy. Corn-based biopolymers produced with conventional energy are the dominant near-term biopolymer option, and can reduce industry-wide GHG emissions by 25%, or 16 million tonnes CO2e/year (mean value). In contrast, switching to renewable energy cuts GHG emissions by 50%-75% (a mean industry-wide reduction of 38 million tonnes CO2e/year). Both strategies increase industry costs—by up to 85/tonne plastic (mean result) for renewable energy, and up to 3000 tonne-1 plastic for renewable feedstocks. Overall, switching to renewable energy achieves greater emission reductions, with less uncertainty and lower costs than switching to corn-based biopolymers. In the long run, producing bio-based plastics from advanced feedstocks (e.g. switchgrass) and/or with renewable energy can further reduce emissions, to approximately 0 CO2e/year (mean value).

Pseudomonas and Beyond : Polyamine metabolism, lignin degradation and potential applications in industrial biotechnology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bandounas, L.

2011-01-01

Renewable resources such as lignocellulosic biomass are promising feedstocks for the production of bio-fuels and value-added products. Biocatalysts are considered important tools in such processes. Pseudomonas putida S12 has a broad metabolic potential and is exceptionally tolerant towards a range

Continuous xylose fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum – Kinetics and energetics issues under acidogenesis conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Procentese, A.; Raganati, F.; Olivieri, G.; Russo, M.E.; Salatino, P.; Marzocchella, A.

2014-01-01

The paper reports the assessment of the growth kinetics of Clostridium acetobutylicum DSM 792 adopting xylose as carbon source. Xylose is the fundamental component of hemicellulose hydrolysis, a relevant fraction of lignocellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production. Tests were carried out in a CSTR

Potential bioethanol feedstock availability around nine locations in the Republic of Ireland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deverell, R.; McDonnell, K.; Devlin, G. [Department of Biosystems Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Building, University College Dublin, Belfield (Ireland)

2009-07-01

The Republic of Ireland, like many other countries is trying to diversify energy sources to counteract environmental, political and social concerns. Bioethanol from domestically grown agricultural crops is an indigenously produced alternative fuel that can potentially go towards meeting the goal of diversified energy supply. The Republic of Ireland's distribution of existing soils and agricultural land-uses limit arable crop land to around 10% of total agricultural area. Demand for land to produce arable crops is expected to decrease, which could open the opportunity for bioethanol production. Bioethanol production plants are required to be of a sufficient scale in order to compete economically with other fuel sources, it is important therefore to determine if enough land exists around potential ethanol plant locations to meet the potential demands for feedstock. This study determines, through the use of a developed GIS based model, the potential quantities of feedstock that is available in the hinterlands of nine locations in the Republic of Ireland. The results indicate that three locations can meet all its feedstock demands using indigenously grown sugarbeet, while only one location can meet its demands using a combination of indigenous wheat and straw as the two locally sourced feedstocks. (author)

Potential Bioethanol Feedstock Availability Around Nine Locations in the Republic of Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rory Deverell

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The Republic of Ireland, like many other countries is trying to diversify energy sources to counteract environmental, political and social concerns. Bioethanol from domestically grown agricultural crops is an indigenously produced alternative fuel that can potentially go towards meeting the goal of diversified energy supply. The Republic of Ireland’s distribution of existing soils and agricultural land-uses limit arable crop land to around 10% of total agricultural area. Demand for land to produce arable crops is expected to decrease, which could open the opportunity for bioethanol production. Bioethanol production plants are required to be of a sufficient scale in order to compete economically with other fuel sources, it is important therefore to determine if enough land exists around potential ethanol plant locations to meet the potential demands for feedstock. This study determines, through the use of a developed GIS based model, the potential quantities of feedstock that is available in the hinterlands of nine locations in the Republic of Ireland. The results indicate that three locations can meet all its feedstock demands using indigenously grown sugarbeet, while only one location can meet its demands using a combination of indigenous wheat and straw as the two locally sourced feedstocks.

Sugarcane straw as a feedstock for xylitol production by Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Pérez, Andrés Felipe; de Arruda, Priscila Vaz; Felipe, Maria das Graças de Almeida

2016-01-01

Sugarcane straw has become an available lignocellulosic biomass since the progressive introduction of the non-burning harvest in Brazil. Besides keeping this biomass in the field, it can be used as a feedstock in thermochemical or biochemical conversion processes. This makes feasible its incorporation in a biorefinery, whose economic profitability could be supported by integrated production of low-value biofuels and high-value chemicals, e.g., xylitol, which has important industrial and clinical applications. Herein, biotechnological production of xylitol is presented as a possible route for the valorization of sugarcane straw and its incorporation in a biorefinery. Nutritional supplementation of the sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate as a function of initial oxygen availability was studied in batch fermentation of Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037. The nutritional supplementation conditions evaluated were: no supplementation; supplementation with (NH4)2SO4, and full supplementation with (NH4)2SO4, rice bran extract and CaCl2·2H2O. Experiments were performed at pH 5.5, 30°C, 200rpm, for 48h in 125mL Erlenmeyer flasks containing either 25 or 50mL of medium in order to vary initial oxygen availability. Without supplementation, complete consumption of glucose and partial consumption of xylose were observed. In this condition the maximum xylitol yield (0.67gg(-1)) was obtained under reduced initial oxygen availability. Nutritional supplementation increased xylose consumption and xylitol production by up to 200% and 240%, respectively. The maximum xylitol volumetric productivity (0.34gL(-1)h(-1)) was reached at full supplementation and increased initial oxygen availability. The results demonstrated a combined effect of nutritional supplementation and initial oxygen availability on xylitol production from sugarcane straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

How does cellulosome composition influence deconstruction of lignocellulosic substrates in Clostridium (Ruminiclostridium) thermocellum DSM 1313?

Science.gov (United States)

Yoav, Shahar; Barak, Yoav; Shamshoum, Melina; Borovok, Ilya; Lamed, Raphael; Dassa, Bareket; Hadar, Yitzhak; Morag, Ely; Bayer, Edward A

2017-01-01

Bioethanol production processes involve enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars. Due to the relatively high cost of enzyme production, the development of potent and cost-effective cellulolytic cocktails is critical for increasing the cost-effectiveness of bioethanol production. In this context, the multi-protein cellulolytic complex of Clostridium ( Ruminiclostridium ) thermocellum, the cellulosome, was studied here. C. thermocellum is known to assemble cellulosomes of various subunit (enzyme) compositions, in response to the available carbon source. In the current study, different carbon sources were used, and their influence on both cellulosomal composition and the resultant activity was investigated. Glucose, cellobiose, microcrystalline cellulose, alkaline-pretreated switchgrass, alkaline-pretreated corn stover, and dilute acid-pretreated corn stover were used as sole carbon sources in the growth media of C. thermocellum strain DSM 1313. The purified cellulosomes were compared for their activity on selected cellulosic substrates. Interestingly, cellulosomes derived from cells grown on lignocellulosic biomass showed no advantage in hydrolyzing the original carbon source used for their production. Instead, microcrystalline cellulose- and glucose-derived cellulosomes were equal or superior in their capacity to deconstruct lignocellulosic biomass. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed differential composition of catalytic and structural subunits (scaffoldins) in the different cellulosome samples. The most abundant catalytic subunits in all cellulosome types include Cel48S, Cel9K, Cel9Q, Cel9R, and Cel5G. Microcrystalline cellulose- and glucose-derived cellulosome samples showed higher endoglucanase-to-exoglucanase ratios and higher catalytic subunit-per-scaffoldin ratios compared to lignocellulose-derived cellulosome types. The results reported here highlight the finding that cellulosomes derived from cells grown on glucose

Probiotic activity of lignocellulosic enzyme as bioactivator for rice husk degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Lamid, Mirni; Al-Arif, Anam; Warsito, Sunaryo Hadi

2017-02-01

The utilization of lignocellulosic enzyme will increase nutritional value of rice husk. Cellulase consists of C1 (β-1, 4-glucan cellobiohydrolase or exo-β-1,4glucanase), Cc (endo-β-1,4-glucanase) and component and cellobiose (β-glucocidase). Hemicellulase enzyme consists of endo-β-1,4-xilanase, β-xilosidase, α-L arabinofuranosidase, α-D-glukuronidaseand asetil xilan esterase. This research aimed to study the activity of lignocellulosic enzyme, produced by cows in their rumen, which can be used as a bioactivator in rice husk degradation. This research resulted G6 and G7 bacteria, producing xylanase and cellulase with the activity of 0.004 U mL-1 and 0.021 U mL-1; 0.003 ( U mL-1) and 0.026 (U mL-1) respectively.

Process for Generation of Hydrogen Gas from Various Feedstocks Using Thermophilic Bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ooteghem Van, Suellen

2005-09-13

A method for producing hydrogen gas is provided comprising selecting a bacteria from the Order Thermotogales, subjecting the bacteria to a feedstock and to a suitable growth environment having an oxygen concentration below the oxygen concentration of water in equilibrium with air; and maintaining the environment at a predetermined pH and at a temperature of at least approximately 45 degrees C. for a time sufficient to allow the bacteria to metabolize the feedstock.

Transgenic perennial biofuel feedstocks and strategies for bioconfinement

Science.gov (United States)

The use of transgenic tools for the improvement of plant feedstocks will be required to realize the full economic and environmental benefits of cellulosic and other biofuels, particularly from perennial plants. Traits that are targets for improvement of biofuels crops include he...

Inhibitory Compounds in Lignocellulosic Biomass Hydrolysates during Hydrolysate Fermentation Processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zha, Y.; Muilwijk, B.; Coulier, L.C.; Punt, P.J.

2012-01-01

To compare the composition and performance of various lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates as fermentation media, 8 hydrolysates were generated from a grass-like and a wood biomass. The hydrolysate preparation methods used were 1) dilute acid, 2) mild alkaline, 3) alkaline/peracetic acid, and 4)

Improvement Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Wheat Straw for Bioethanol Production by Combined Treatment of Radiation and Acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Sung Hyun; Lee, Seung Sik; Bai, Hyoung Woo; Chung, Byung Yeoup

2012-01-01

The cost of ethanol production from starch and sucrose for use as a vehicle fuel is ultimately high. Consequently, it has been suggested that the large-scale use of ethanol as a fuel will require the utilization of cellulosic feedstock. Lignocellulosic biomass has the potential to serve as a low cost and renewable feedstock for bioconversion into fermentable sugars, which can be further utilized for biofuel production. It is estimated that there is over one billion tons of biomass available for conversion into biofuels on a renewable basis to displace a substantial portion of the fossil fuels currently consumed within the transportation sector. Among different pretreatment methods such as biological, physical, chemical, and physic-chemical pretreatments, chemical pretreatment using dilute acid as catalyst, which has been extensively evaluated for treating a variety of lignocellulosic feedstocks, is reported as one of the leading pretreatment technologies. Ionizing radiation can easily penetrate lignocellulosic structure and undoubtedly produce free radicals useful in modification of lignin structure as well as breakdown cellulose crystal regions. Phenoxy radicals appeared to be important radical intermediates that ultimately transformed into o-quinonoid structures in lignin. Therefore, ionizing radiation such as gamma ray and electron beam can be a great alternative. In this study, the effect of ionizing irradiation of wheat straw prior to dilute sulfuric acid treatment is investigated. The combined pretreatment for wheat straw was performed to evaluate the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis and compared with that of the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis by individual pretreatment

Review of pretreatment processes for lignocellulosic ethanol production, and development of an innovative method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiaramonti, David; Prussi, Matteo; Ferrero, Simone; Oriani, Luis; Ottonello, Piero; Torre, Paolo; Cherchi, Francesco

2012-01-01

Biomass pretreatment aims at separating and providing easier access to the main biomass components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin), eventually removing lignin, preserving the hemicellulose, reducing the cellulose crystallinity and increasing the porosity of the material. Pretreatment is an essential step towards the development and industrialization of efficient 2nd generation lignocellulosic ethanol processes. The present work reviewed the main options available in pretreatment. Autohydrolysis and steam explosion were then selected for further investigation. Experimental work was carried out on batch scale reactors, using Miscanthus as biomass feedstock: the effects on sugar solubilization and degradation products generation have been examined for each of these two pretreatment systems. A new process using only water and steam as reacting media was then developed, experimentally tested, and results compared to those achieved by the autohydrolysis and steam explosion processes. Products obtained with the new pretreatment contained a lower amount of usual fermentation inhibitor compounds compared to that typically obtained in steam explosion. This result was achieved under operating conditions that at the same time allowed a good xylan yield, preventing degradation of hemicelluloses. The new pretreatment process was also able to act as an equalization step, as the solid material from the pretreatment phase had a similar composition even under different operating conditions. As regards the effect of pretreatment on enzymatic hydrolysis, the new process achieved yields similar to steam explosion on glucans: however, this was obtained reducing the formation of degradation products from sugars, mainly from C5 sugars. These results made the proposed pretreatment system suitable for further development and industrialization on pilot and industrial scale.

Characteristics and kinetic study on pyrolysis of five lignocellulosic biomass via thermogravimetric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhihua; Hu, Mian; Zhu, Xiaolei; Guo, Dabin; Liu, Shiming; Hu, Zhiquan; Xiao, Bo; Wang, Jingbo; Laghari, Mahmood

2015-09-01

Pyrolysis characteristics and kinetic of five lignocellulosic biomass pine wood sawdust, fern (Dicranopteris linearis) stem, wheat stalk, sugarcane bagasse and jute (Corchorus capsularis) stick were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. The pyrolysis of five lignocellulosic biomass could be divided into three stages, which correspond to the pyrolysis of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, respectively. Single Gaussian activation energy distributions of each stage are 148.50-201.13 kJ/mol with standard deviations of 2.60-13.37 kJ/mol. The kinetic parameters of different stages were used as initial guess values for three-parallel-DAEM model calculation with good fitting quality and fast convergence rate. The mean activation energy ranges of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were 148.12-164.56 kJ/mol, 171.04-179.54 kJ/mol and 175.71-201.60 kJ/mol, with standard deviations of 3.91-9.89, 0.29-1.34 and 23.22-27.24 kJ/mol, respectively. The mass fractions of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin in lignocellulosic biomass were respectively estimated as 0.12-0.22, 0.54-0.65 and 0.17-0.29. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of High Yield Feedstocks and Biomass Conversion Technology for Renewable Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashimoto, Andrew G. [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Crow, Susan [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); DeBeryshe, Barbara [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Ha, Richard [Hamakua Springs County Farms, Hilo, HI (United States); Jakeway, Lee [Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company, Puunene, HI (United States); Khanal, Samir [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Nakahata, Mae [Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company, Puunene, HI (United States); Ogoshi, Richard [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Shimizu, Erik [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Stern, Ivette [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Turano, Brian [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Turn, Scott [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Yanagida, John [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States)

2015-04-09

This project had two main goals. The first goal was to evaluate several high yielding tropical perennial grasses as feedstock for biofuel production, and to characterize the feedstock for compatible biofuel production systems. The second goal was to assess the integration of renewable energy systems for Hawaii. The project focused on high-yield grasses (napiergrass, energycane, sweet sorghum, and sugarcane). Field plots were established to evaluate the effects of elevation (30, 300 and 900 meters above sea level) and irrigation (50%, 75% and 100% of sugarcane plantation practice) on energy crop yields and input. The test plots were extensive monitored including: hydrologic studies to measure crop water use and losses through seepage and evapotranspiration; changes in soil carbon stock; greenhouse gas flux (CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) from the soil surface; and root morphology, biomass, and turnover. Results showed significant effects of environment on crop yields. In general, crop yields decrease as the elevation increased, being more pronounced for sweet sorghum and energycane than napiergrass. Also energy crop yields were higher with increased irrigation levels, being most pronounced with energycane and less so with sweet sorghum. Daylight length greatly affected sweet sorghum growth and yields. One of the energy crops (napiergrass) was harvested at different ages (2, 4, 6, and 8 months) to assess the changes in feedstock characteristics with age and potential to generate co-products. Although there was greater potential for co-products from younger feedstock, the increased production was not sufficient to offset the additional cost of harvesting multiple times per year. The feedstocks were also characterized to assess their compatibility with biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes. The project objectives are being continued through additional support from the Office of Naval Research, and the Biomass Research and Development

Identification and thermochemical analysis of high-lignin feedstocks for biofuel and biochemical production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mendu Venugopal

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lignin is a highly abundant biopolymer synthesized by plants as a complex component of plant secondary cell walls. Efforts to utilize lignin-based bioproducts are needed. Results Herein we identify and characterize the composition and pyrolytic deconstruction characteristics of high-lignin feedstocks. Feedstocks displaying the highest levels of lignin were identified as drupe endocarp biomass arising as agricultural waste from horticultural crops. By performing pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we characterized lignin-derived deconstruction products from endocarp biomass and compared these with switchgrass. By comparing individual pyrolytic products, we document higher amounts of acetic acid, 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, acetone and furfural in switchgrass compared to endocarp tissue, which is consistent with high holocellulose relative to lignin. By contrast, greater yields of lignin-based pyrolytic products such as phenol, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-methylphenol, 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol and 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol arising from drupe endocarp tissue are documented. Conclusions Differences in product yield, thermal decomposition rates and molecular species distribution among the feedstocks illustrate the potential of high-lignin endocarp feedstocks to generate valuable chemicals by thermochemical deconstruction.

Laccase-mediator catalyzed conversion of model lignin compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Laccases play an important role in the biological breakdown of lignin and have great potential in the deconstruction of lignocellulosic feedstocks. We examined a variety of laccases, both commercially prepared and crude extracts, for their ability to oxidize three model lignol compounds (p-coumaryl...

Production of L(+)-lactic acid from acid pretreated sugarcane bagasse using Bacillus coagulans DSM2314 in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation strategy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pol, van der Edwin C.; Eggink, Gerrit; Weusthuis, Ruud A.

2016-01-01

Background: Sugars derived from lignocellulose-rich sugarcane bagasse can be used as feedstock for production of L(+)-lactic acid, a precursor for renewable bioplastics. In our research, acid-pretreated bagasse was hydrolysed with the enzyme cocktail GC220 and fermented by the moderate

Canonical correlations between chemical and energetic characteristics of lignocellulosic wastes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thiago de Paula Protásio

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Canonical correlation analysis is a statistical multivariate procedure that allows analyzing linear correlation that may exist between two groups or sets of variables (X and Y. This paper aimed to provide canonical correlation analysis between a group comprised of lignin and total extractives contents and higher heating value (HHV with a group of elemental components (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur for lignocellulosic wastes. The following wastes were used: eucalyptus shavings; pine shavings; red cedar shavings; sugar cane bagasse; residual bamboo cellulose pulp; coffee husk and parchment; maize harvesting wastes; and rice husk. Only the first canonical function was significant, but it presented a low canonical R². High carbon, hydrogen and sulfur contents and low nitrogen contents seem to be related to high total extractives contents of the lignocellulosic wastes. The preliminary results found in this paper indicate that the canonical correlations were not efficient to explain the correlations between the chemical elemental components and lignin contents and higher heating values.

Ethanol Production from Lignocellulose by the Dimorphic Fungus Mucor Indicus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lennartsson, P.R.; Taherzadeh, M.J. (School of Engineering, Univ. of Boraas, SE-50190, Boraas (Sweden)). e-mail: Patrik.Lennartsson@hb.se; Karimi, K. (Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Isfahan Univ. of Technology, 84156-83111, Isfahan (IR)); Edebo, L. (Dept. of Clinical Bacteriology, Univ. of Goeteborg, SE-41346, Goeteborg (Sweden))

2008-10-15

Ethanol production from dilute-acid lignocellulosic hydrolyzate by the dimorphic fungus Mucor indicus was investigated. A mixture of different forest wood chips dominated by spruce was hydrolyzed with 0.5 g/L sulfuric acid at 15 bar for 10 min, yielding different sugars including galactose, glucose, mannose, and xylose, but also different fermentation inhibitors such as acetic acid, furfural, hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), and phenolic compounds. We induced different morphological growth of M. indicus from purely filamentous, mostly filamentous, mostly yeast-like to purely yeast-like. The different forms were then used to ferment the hydrolyzate. They tolerated the presence of the inhibitors under anaerobic batch cultivation well and the ethanol yield was 430-440 g/kg consumed sugars. The ethanol productivity depended on the morphology. Judging from these results, we conclude that M. indicus, is useful for ethanol production from toxic substrates independent of its morphology. Keywords: bio-ethanol, lignocellulosic materials, dilute acid hydrolysis, Mucor indicus, dimorphic fungi

Reclaimable Thermally Reversible Polymers for AM Feedstock, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — CRG proposes to continue efforts from the 2016 NASA SBIR Phase I topic H5.04 Reclaimable Thermally Reversible Polymers for AM Feedstock. In Phase II, CRG will refine...

Lignin-containing Feedstock Hydrogenolysis for Biofuel Component Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Shimanskaya

2018-01-01

How to Cite: Shimanskaya, E.I., Stepacheva, A.A., Sulman, E.M., Rebrov, E.V., Matveeva, V.G. (2018. Lignin-containing Feedstock Hydrogenolysis for Biofuel Component Production. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 13 (1: 74-81 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.13.1.969.74-81

Developing a sustainable bioprocessing strategy based on a generic feedstock.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, C; Koutinas, Wang R; Wang, R

2004-01-01

Based on current average yields of wheat per hectare and the saccharide content of wheat grain, it is feasible to produce wheat-based alternatives to many petrochemicals. However, the requirements in terms of wheat utilization would be equivalent to 82% of current production if intermediates and primary building blocks such as ethylene, propylene, and butadiene were to be produced in addition to conventional bioproducts. If only intermediates and bioproducts were produced this requirement would fall to just 11%, while bioproducts alone would require only 7%. These requirements would be easily met if the global wheat yield per hectare of cultivated land was increased from the current average of 2.7 to 5.5 tonnes ha(-1) (well below the current maximum). Preliminary economic evaluation taking into account only raw material costs demonstrated that the use of wheat as a generic feedstock could be advantageous in the case of bioproducts and specific intermediate petrochemicals. Gluten plays a significant role considering the revenue occurring when it is sold as a by-product. A process leading to the production of a generic fermentation feedstock from wheat has been devised and evaluated in terms of efficiency and economics. This feedstock aims at providing a replacement for conventional fermentation media and petrochemical feedstocks. The process can be divided into four major stages--wheat milling; fermentation of whole wheat flour by A. awamori leading to the production of enzymes and fungal cells; glucose enhancement via enzymatic hydrolysis of flour suspensions; and nitrogen/micronutrient enhancement via fungal cell autolysis. Preliminary costings show that the operating cost of the process depends on plant capacity, cereal market price, presence and market value of added-value by-products, labour costs, and mode of processing (batch or continuous).

Potential feedstock sources for ethanol production in Florida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahmani, Mohammad [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Hodges, Alan [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2015-10-01

This study presents information on the potential feedstock sources that may be used for ethanol production in Florida. Several potential feedstocks for fuel ethanol production in Florida are discussed, such as, sugarcane, corn, citrus byproducts and sweet sorghum. Other probable impacts need to be analyzed for sugarcane to ethanol production as alternative uses of sugarcane may affect the quantity of sugar production in Florida. While citrus molasses is converted to ethanol as an established process, the cost of ethanol is higher, and the total amount of citrus molasses per year is insignificant. Sorghum cultivars have the potential for ethanol production. However, the agricultural practices for growing sweet sorghum for ethanol have not been established, and the conversion process must be tested and developed at a more expanded level. So far, only corn shipped from other states to Florida has been considered for ethanol production on a commercial scale. The economic feasibility of each of these crops requires further data and technical analysis.

An overview of palm, jatropha and algae as a potential biodiesel feedstock in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yunus, S; Abdullah, N R; Rashid, A A; Mamat, R

2013-01-01

The high demand to replace petroleum fuel makes renewable and sustainable sources such as Palm oil, Jatropha oil and Algae a main focus feedstock for biodiesel production in Malaysia. There are many studies conducted on Palm oil and Jatropha oil, however, the use of Algae as an alternative fuel is still in its infancy. Malaysia already implemented B5 based Palm oil as a feedstock and this biodiesel has been proven safe and can be used without any engine modification. The use of biodiesel produced from these feedstock will also developed domestic economic and provide job opportunities especially in the rural area. In addition, biodiesel has many advantages especially when dealing with the emissions produce as compared to petroleum fuel such as; it can reduce unwanted gases and particulate matter harmful to the atmosphere and mankind. Thus, this paper gathered and examines the most prominent engine emission produced from Palm oil and Jatropha feedstock and also to observe the potential of Algae to be one of the sources of alternative fuel in Malaysia

The Challenge of Lignocellulosic Bioenergy in a Water-Limited World

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

King, J. S.; Ceulemans, R.; Albaugh, J. M.; Dillen, S.; Domec, J. C.; Fichot, R.; Fischer, Milan; Leggett, Z.; Sucre, E.; Trnka, Miroslav; Zenone, T.

2013-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 2 (2013), s. 102-117 ISSN 0006-3568 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : climate change * lignocellulosic bioenergy * water availability * drought * sustainability Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 5.439, year: 2013

Demand and supply of hydrogen as chemical feedstock in USA

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, C. J.; Tang, K.; Kelley, J. H.; Berger, B. J.

1979-01-01

Projections are made for the demand and supply of hydrogen as chemical feedstock in USA. Industrial sectors considered are petroleum refining, ammonia synthesis, methanol production, isocyanate manufacture, edible oil processing, coal liquefaction, fuel cell electricity generation, and direct iron reduction. Presently, almost all the hydrogen required is produced by reforming of natural gas or petroleum fractions. Specific needs and emphases are recommended for future research and development to produce hydrogen from other sources to meet the requirements of these industrial sectors. The data and the recommendations summarized in this paper are based on the Workshop 'Supply and Demand of Hydrogen as Chemical Feedstock' held at the University of Houston on December 12-14, 1977.

Syngas. The flexible solution in a volatile feed-stock market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wurzel, T. [Air Liquide Global E und C Solutions c/o Lurgi GmbH, Frankfurt a.M. (Germany)

2013-11-01

The paper presents the versatility of syngas allowing the extended application of new feedstock sources such as shale gas or coal to deliver fuels and chemicals traditionally derived from crude oil. In order to provide a holistic view on this topic of current interest, the syngas market, the pre-dominant production technologies and main economic consideration for selected applications are presented and analyzed. It can be concluded that a broad portfolio of well-mastered and referenced syngas production technologies which are continuously improved to meet actual market requirements (e.g. ability to valorize biomass) will remain key to enable economic solutions in a world characterized by growing dynamics with regards to the supply of (carbonaceous) feedstock. (orig.)

Preprints of the DGMK-Conference - Future feedstocks for fuels and chemicals. Author's manuscripts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ernst, S.; Jess, A.; Nees, F.; Peters, U.; Ricci, M.; Santacesaria, E. (eds.)

2008-07-01

Within the conference,Future Feedstocks for Fuels and Chemicals, of the German Society for Petroleum and Coal Science and Technology at 29th Spetember to 1st October, 2008, in Berlin (Federal Republic of Germany), the following lectures were held: (a) New technologies in Biodiesel production (E. Santacessari, M. Di Serio, R. Tesser, L. Casale); (b) A new heterogeneous process catalyst for the Biodiesel production (O. Meyer, F. Roessner, R.A. Rakoczy, R.W. Fischer); (c) Vegetable oil hydrotreating for production of high quality diesel Components (M. Endisch, U. Balfanz, M. Olschar, Th. Kuchling); (d) Hydrocracking of vegetable oil using bifunctional, porous catalyst systems (O. Busse, K. Raeuchle, H. Toufar, W. Reschetilowski); (e) Raw material change in the chemical industry (R. Diercks); (f) Fundamentals of the oxidative conversion of methane to ethylene, methanol and formaldehyde (E. Kondratenko); (g) The dehydroalkylation of toluene with ethane - an example for the non-oxidative activation of light alkanes (Y. Traa); (h) Isoprene - Applications beyond polymers (S. Reyer, A. Behr); (i) The gas-phase ammocidation of n-hexane to unsaturated 1,6-C{sub 6} dinitriles, intermediates for 1,6-hexamethylenediamine synthesis (N. Ballarini, A. Battisti, A. Castelli, F. Cavani, C. Lucarelli, P. Marion, P. Righi, A. Turrini); (j) Chemicals from Biomass (T. Tacke); (k) Coal Processing and Fuels from Coal - State of the Art (R. Abraham); (l) Energy from aquatic biomass: an integrated approach to biodiesel and hydrogen production (M. Aresta, A. Dibenedetto); (m) High throughput catalyst optimization program for the gas-to-liquids (GTL) technologies Methanol-to-Gasoline (MTG), higher alcohol synthesis (HAS) and Fischer-Tropsch-Synthesis (FTS) (H. Dathe, K.-F. Finger, A. Haas, P. Kolb, A. Sundermann, G. Wasserschaff); (n) Diesel yield according to Fischer-Tropsch process conditions (M.-C. Marion, F. Hugues); (o) Glycerol derivatives as fuel components (D. Bianchi, E. Batistelle

Fungal treatment of lignocellulosic biomass: Importance of fungal species, colonization and time on chemical composition and in vitro rumen degradability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijk, van S.J.A.; Sonnenberg, A.S.M.; Baars, J.J.P.; Hendriks, W.H.; Cone, J.W.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate fungal treatments to improve in vitro rumen degradability of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study four selective lignin degrading fungi, Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus eryngii and Pleurotus ostreatus, were used to pre-treat lignocellulosic

Ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials. Fermentation and on-line analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olsson, L.

1994-04-01

The fermentation performance of bacteria, yeast and fungi was investigated in lignocellulosic hydrolysates with the aim of finding microorganisms which both withstand the inhibitors and that have the ability to ferment pentoses. Firstly, the performance of Saccharomyces cidri, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactococcus lactis ssp lactis, Escherichia coli and Zymomonas mobilis was investigated in spent sulphite liquor and enzymatic hydrolysate of steam-pretreated willow. Secondly, the performance of natural and recombinant E. coli, Pichia stipitis, recombinant S. cerevisiae, S. cerevisiae in combination with xylose isomerase and Fusarium oxysporum was investigated in a xylose-rich acid hydrolysate of corn cob. Recombinant E. coli was the best alternative for fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates, giving both high yields and productivities. The main drawback was that detoxification was necessary. The kinetics of the fermentation with recombinant E. coli KO11 was investigated in the condensate of steam-pretreated willow. A cost analysis of the ethanol production from willow was made, which predicted an ethanol production cost of 3.9 SEK/l for the pentose fermentation. The detoxification cost constituted 22% of this cost. The monitoring of three monosaccharides and ethanol in lignocellulosic hydro lysates is described. The monosaccharides were determined using immobilized pyranose oxidase in an on-line amperometric analyser. Immobilization and characterization of pyranose oxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium is also described. The ethanol was monitored on-line using a micro dialysis probe as an in situ sampling device. The dialysate components were then separated in a column liquid chromatographic system and the ethanol was selectively detected by an amperometric alcohol bio sensor. The determinations with on-line analysis methods agreed well with off-line methods. 248 refs, 4 figs, 12 tabs

Process for improving the energy density of feedstocks using formate salts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wheeler, Marshall Clayton; van Heiningen, Adriaan R.P.; Case, Paige A.

2015-09-01

Methods of forming liquid hydrocarbons through thermal deoxygenation of cellulosic compounds are disclosed. Aspects cover methods including the steps of mixing a levulinic acid salt-containing feedstock with a formic acid salt, exposing the mixture to a high temperature condition to form hydrocarbon vapor, and condensing the hydrocarbon vapor to form liquid hydrocarbons, where both the formic acid salt and the levulinic acid salt-containing feedstock decompose at the high temperature condition and wherein one or more of the mixing, exposing, and condensing steps is carried out a pressure between about vacuum and about 10 bar.

Biodiesel forming reactions using heterogeneous catalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yijun

Biodiesel synthesis from biomass provides a means for utilizing effectively renewable resources, a way to convert waste vegetable oils and animal fats to a useful product, a way to recycle carbon dioxide for a combustion fuel, and production of a fuel that is biodegradable, non-toxic, and has a lower emission profile than petroleum-diesel. Free fatty acid (FFA) esterification and triglyceride (TG) transesterification with low molecular weight alcohols constitute the synthetic routes to prepare biodiesel from lipid feedstocks. This project was aimed at developing a better understanding of important fundamental issues involved in heterogeneous catalyzed biodiesel forming reactions using mainly model compounds, representing part of on-going efforts to build up a rational base for assay, design, and performance optimization of solid acids/bases in biodiesel synthesis. As FFA esterification proceeds, water is continuously formed as a byproduct and affects reaction rates in a negative manner. Using sulfuric acid (as a catalyst) and acetic acid (as a model compound for FFA), the impact of increasing concentrations of water on acid catalysis was investigated. The order of the water effect on reaction rate was determined to be -0.83. Sulfuric acid lost up to 90% activity as the amount of water present increased. The nature of the negative effect of water on esterification was found to go beyond the scope of reverse hydrolysis and was associated with the diminished acid strength of sulfuric acid as a result of the preferential solvation by water molecules of its catalytic protons. The results indicate that as esterification progresses and byproduct water is produced, deactivation of a Bronsted acid catalyst like H2SO4 occurs. Using a solid composite acid (SAC-13) as an example of heterogeneous catalysts and sulfuric acid as a homogeneous reference, similar reaction inhibition by water was demonstrated for homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. This similarity together with

Highly thermostable xylanase production from a thermophilic Geobacillus sp. strain WSUCF1 utilizing lignocellulosic biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditya eBhalla

2015-06-01

Full Text Available AbstractEfficient enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose to fermentable sugars requires a complete repertoire of biomass deconstruction enzymes. Hemicellulases play an important role in hydrolyzing hemicellulose component of lignocellulose to xylo-oligosaccharides and xylose. Thermostable xylanases have been a focus of attention as industrially important enzymes due to their long shelf life at high temperatures. Geobacillus sp. strain WSUCF1 produced thermostable xylanase activity (crude xylanase cocktail when grown on xylan or various inexpensive untreated and pretreated lignocellulosic biomasses such as prairie cord grass and corn stover. The optimum pH and temperature for the crude xylanase cocktail were 6.5 and 70ºC, respectively. The WSUCF1 crude xylanase was found to be highly thermostable with half-lives of 18 and 12 days at 60 and 70ºC, respectively. At 70ºC, rates of xylan hydrolysis were also found to be better with the WSUCF1 secretome than those with commercial enzymes, i.e., for WSUCF1 crude xylanase, CellicHTec2, and AccelleraseXY, the percent xylan conversions were 68.9, 49.4, and 28.92, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, WSUCF1 crude xylanase cocktail is among the most thermostable xylanases produced by thermophilic Geobacillus spp. and other thermophilic microbes (optimum growth temperature ≤70ºC. High thermostability, activity over wide range of temperatures, and better xylan hydrolysis than commercial enzymes make WSUCF1 crude xylanase suitable for thermophilic lignocellulose bioconversion processes.

Effects of lignocellulosic composition and microwave power level on the gaseous product of microwave pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Yu-Fong; Chiueh, Pei-Te; Kuan, Wen-Hui; Lo, Shang-Lien

2015-01-01

Agricultural residues are abundant resources to produce renewable energy and valuable chemicals. This study focused on the effects of lignocellulosic composition and microwave power level on the gaseous product of microwave pyrolysis of agricultural residues. When agricultural residues were under microwave radiation within 10 min, the maximum temperatures of approximately 320, 420, and 530 °C were achieved at the microwave power levels of 300, 400, and 500 W, respectively. Gas yield increased with increasing microwave power level, whereas solid and liquid yields decreased. Besides, gaseous products with higher H 2 content and higher calorific values can be obtained at higher microwave power levels. In addition to microwave power level, lignocellulosic composition was also an important factor. H 2 and CO 2 yields increased with increasing hemicellulose content, whereas CH 4 and CO yields increased with increasing cellulose content. Four empirical equations were derived to present the contributions of lignocellulosic materials to the yields of gaseous components. - Highlights: • About 530 °C was reached within 10 min at a microwave power level of 500 W. • Gas yield increased with increasing microwave power level. • A high correlation between hemicellulose content and either H 2 or CO 2 yield. • A high correlation between cellulose content and either CH 4 or CO yield. • Empirical equations depict contribution of lignocellulosic content to gas yield

Fungal Biodegradative Oxidants in Lignocellulose: Fluorescence Mapping and Correlation With Gene Expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammel, Kenneth E. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Ralph, John [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Hunt, Christopher G. [U.S. Forest Products Lab., Madison, WI (United States); Houtman, Carl J. [U.S. Forest Products Lab., Madison, WI (United States)

2016-09-06

This work focused on new methods for the detection of oxidation in natural substrates during the deconstruction of lignocellulose by microoganisms. Oxidation was the focus because all known biological systems that degrade lignin are oxidative. The detection methods involved the used of (a) micrometer-scale beads carrying a fluorescent dye that is sensitive to oxidation, (b) 13C-labeled synthetic lignins whose breakdown products can be assessed using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and (c) a fluorometric stain that is highly sensitive to incipient oxidation during microbial attack. The results showed (a) that one white rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, produces diffusible oxidants on wood, and that the onset of oxidation is coincident with the marked up-regulation of genes that encode ligninolytic peroxidases and auxiliary oxidative enzymes; (b) that a more selectively ligninolytic white rot fungus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, produces a highly diastereoselective oxidative system for attack on lignin; (c) that a brown rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, uses extracellular hydroquinone metabolites to drive the production of lignocellulose-oxidizing free radicals; (d) that both white rot and brown rot fungi produce highly diffusible mild oxidants that modify lignocellulose at the earliest stage of substrate deconstruction; and (e) that lignin degradation in a tropical soil is not inhibited as much as expected during periods of flooding-induced hypoxia, which indicates that unknown mechanisms for attack on lignin remain to be discovered.

A new method for recovery of cellulose from lignocellulosic bio-waste: Pile processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tezcan, Erdem; Atıcı, Oya Galioğlu

2017-12-01

This paper presents a new delignification method (pile processing) for the recovery of cellulose from lignocellulosic bio-wastes, adapted from heap leaching technology in metallurgy. The method is based on the stacking of cellulosic materials in a pile, irrigation of the pile with aqueous reactive solution from the top, lignin and hemicellulose removal and enrichment of cellulose by the reactive solution while percolation occurs through the bottom of the pile, recirculating the reactive solution after adjusting several values such as chemical concentrations, and allow the system run until the desired time or cellulose purity. Laboratory scale systems were designed using fall leaves (FL) as lignocellulosic waste materials. The ideal condition for FL was noted as: 0.1g solid NaOH addition per gram of FL into the irrigating solution resulting in instant increase in pH to about 13.8, later allowing self-decrease in pH due to delignification over time down to 13.0, at which point another solid NaOH addition was performed. The new method achieved enrichment of cellulose from 30% to 81% and removal of 84% of the lignin that prevents industrial application of lignocellulosic bio-waste using total of 0.3g NaOH and 4ml of water per gram of FL at environmental temperature and pressure. While the stirring reactions used instead of pile processing required the same amount of NaOH, they needed at least 12ml of water and delignification was only 56.1%. Due to its high delignification performance using common and odorless chemicals and simple equipment in mild conditions, the pile processing method has great promise for the industrial evaluation of lignocellulosic bio-waste. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development of effective pretreatment and saccharification techniques for lignocellulosic biomass using radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Dyung Yeoup; Kim, Jin Hong; Lee, Seung Sik; Bai, Hyoung Woo; Lee, Jae Taek; Hong, Sung Hyun; Lee, Eun Mi; Kim, Mi Ja

2011-12-01

The bio-ethanol production from crop resource leads to several problems such as a shortage of provisions, soil acidification, and increase of crop price, whereas lignocellulosic biomass can overcome such problems as mentioned above. That is the reason why, the investigation of ethanol production originated from lignocellulosic materials has carried out all over the world. In present project, we focus on the new method of pretreatment using radiation as well as find out high efficiency process of saccharification through the new microorganisms and enzymes in order to achieve the price competitiveness. The enzymatic hydrolysis in lignocellulosic materials is inhibited by several factors such as crystalline of cellolose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. In order to overcome these obstacles, we devise phyco-chemical and phyco-physical treatments as a combination of 3% sulferic acid and 1000 kGy gamma irradiation and as a popping-1000 kGy gamma irradiation. Most lignocellulosic materials showed above 95% enzymatic hydrolysis using popping or popping-gamma irradiation, while the combination of dilute acid-gamma irradiation showed below 90% enzymatic hydrolysis. Moreover, popping treatment followed by gamma irradiation is much better than gamma irradiation followed by popping for enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis. In conclusions, in case of herbaceous biomass such as wheat straw and switch grass popping treatment, popping treatment only is the best method and in case of woody biomass like a popular fiber and overseas biomass like a coconut fiber, the combination of 1000 kGy gamma irradiation-popping treatments is the most effective method for enzymatic hydrolysis. The achieving 95% of enzymatic hydrolysis is owing to modification of lignin structure, removal of hemicelluloses, and destruction of cellulose crystalline. In addition, we investigated that a new cocktail of enzymes for hydrolysis was designed for boosting enzymatic hydrolysis

The development of effective pretreatment and saccharification techniques for lignocellulosic biomass using radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Dyung Yeoup; Kim, Jin Hong; Lee, Seung Sik; Bai, Hyoung Woo; Lee, Jae Taek; Hong, Sung Hyun; Lee, Eun Mi; Kim, Mi Ja

2011-12-15

The bio-ethanol production from crop resource leads to several problems such as a shortage of provisions, soil acidification, and increase of crop price, whereas lignocellulosic biomass can overcome such problems as mentioned above. That is the reason why, the investigation of ethanol production originated from lignocellulosic materials has carried out all over the world. In present project, we focus on the new method of pretreatment using radiation as well as find out high efficiency process of saccharification through the new microorganisms and enzymes in order to achieve the price competitiveness. The enzymatic hydrolysis in lignocellulosic materials is inhibited by several factors such as crystalline of cellolose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. In order to overcome these obstacles, we devise phyco-chemical and phyco-physical treatments as a combination of 3% sulferic acid and 1000 kGy gamma irradiation and as a popping-1000 kGy gamma irradiation. Most lignocellulosic materials showed above 95% enzymatic hydrolysis using popping or popping-gamma irradiation, while the combination of dilute acid-gamma irradiation showed below 90% enzymatic hydrolysis. Moreover, popping treatment followed by gamma irradiation is much better than gamma irradiation followed by popping for enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis. In conclusions, in case of herbaceous biomass such as wheat straw and switch grass popping treatment, popping treatment only is the best method and in case of woody biomass like a popular fiber and overseas biomass like a coconut fiber, the combination of 1000 kGy gamma irradiation-popping treatments is the most effective method for enzymatic hydrolysis. The achieving 95% of enzymatic hydrolysis is owing to modification of lignin structure, removal of hemicelluloses, and destruction of cellulose crystalline. In addition, we investigated that a new cocktail of enzymes for hydrolysis was designed for boosting enzymatic hydrolysis.

Production of ethanol from sugars and lignocellulosic biomass by Thermoanaerobacter J1 isolated from a hot spring in Iceland.

Science.gov (United States)

Jessen, Jan Eric; Orlygsson, Johann

2012-01-01

Thermophilic bacteria have gained increased attention as candidates for bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. This study investigated ethanol production by Thermoanaerobacter strain J1 from hydrolysates made from lignocellulosic biomass in batch cultures. The effect of increased initial glucose concentration and the partial pressure of hydrogen on end product formation were examined. The strain showed a broad substrate spectrum, and high ethanol yields were observed on glucose (1.70 mol/mol) and xylose (1.25 mol/mol). Ethanol yields were, however, dramatically lowered by adding thiosulfate or by cocultivating strain J1 with a hydrogenotrophic methanogen with acetate becoming the major end product. Ethanol production from 4.5 g/L of lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates (grass, hemp stem, wheat straw, newspaper, and cellulose) pretreated with acid or alkali and the enzymes Celluclast and Novozymes 188 was investigated. The highest ethanol yields were obtained on cellulose (7.5 mM·g(-1)) but the lowest on straw (0.8 mM·g(-1)). Chemical pretreatment increased ethanol yields substantially from lignocellulosic biomass but not from cellulose. The largest increase was on straw hydrolysates where ethanol production increased from 0.8 mM·g(-1) to 3.3 mM·g(-1) using alkali-pretreated biomass. The highest ethanol yields on lignocellulosic hydrolysates were observed with hemp hydrolysates pretreated with acid, 4.2 mM·g(-1).

Improved Sugar Conversion and Ethanol Yield for Forage Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Lines with Reduced Lignin Contents

Science.gov (United States)

Lignin is known to impede conversion of lignocellulose into ethanol. In this study, forage sorghum plants carrying brown midrib (bmr) mutations, which reduce lignin contents, were evaluated as bioenergy feedstocks. The near isogenic lines evaluated were: wild-type, bmr-6, bmr-12, and bmr-6 bmr-12...

Lignocellulose Biomass: Constitutive Polymers. Biological Processes of Lignin Degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, C.; Manzanares, P.

1994-01-01

The structure of the lignocellulosic materials and the chemical composition of their main constitutive polymers, cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin are described. The most promising transformation processes according to the type of biomass considered: hardwood, softwood an herbaceous and the perspectives of biotechnological processes for bio pulping, bio bleaching and effluents decolorisation in the paper pulp industry are also discussed. (Author) 7 refs

A systematic review on the composting of green waste: Feedstock quality and optimization strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes-Torres, M; Oviedo-Ocaña, E R; Dominguez, I; Komilis, D; Sánchez, A

2018-04-27

Green waste (GW) is an important fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW). The composting of lignocellulosic GW is challenging due to its low decomposition rate. Recently, an increasing number of studies that include strategies to optimize GW composting appeared in the literature. This literature review focuses on the physicochemical quality of GW and on the effect of strategies used to improve the process and product quality. A systematic search was carried out, using keywords, and 447 papers published between 2002 and 2018 were identified. After a screening process, 41 papers addressing feedstock quality and 32 papers on optimization strategies were selected to be reviewed and analyzed in detail. The GW composition is highly variable due to the diversity of the source materials, the type of vegetation, and climatic conditions. This variability limits a strict categorization of the GW physicochemical characteristics. However, this research established that the predominant features of GW are a C/N ratio higher than 25, a deficit in important nutrients, namely nitrogen (0.5-1.5% db), phosphorous (0.1-0.2% db) and potassium (0.4-0.8% db) and a high content of recalcitrant organic compounds (e.g. lignin). The promising strategies to improve composting of GW were: i) GW particle size reduction (e.g. shredding and separation of GW fractions); ii) addition of energy amendments (e.g. non-refined sugar, phosphate rock, food waste, volatile ashes), bulking materials (e.g. biocarbon, wood chips), or microbial inoculum (e.g. fungal consortia); and iii) variations in operating parameters (aeration, temperature, and two-phase composting). These alternatives have successfully led to the reduction of process length and have managed to transform recalcitrant substances to a high-quality end-product. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Semi-mechanistic Model Applied to the Search for Economically Optimal Conditions and Blending of Gasoline Feedstock for Steam-cracking Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karaba Adam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Steam-cracking is energetically intensive large-scaled process which transforms a wide range of hydrocarbons feedstock to petrochemical products. The dependence of products yields on feedstock composition and reaction conditions has been successfully described by mathematical models which are very useful tools for the optimization of cracker operation. Remaining problem is to formulate objective function for such an optimization. Quantitative criterion based on the process economy is proposed in this paper. Previously developed and verified industrial steam-cracking semi-mechanistic model is utilized as supporting tool for economic evaluation of selected gasoline feedstock. Economic criterion is established as the difference between value of products obtained by cracking of studied feedstock under given conditions and the value of products obtained by cracking of reference feedstock under reference conditions. As an example of method utilization, optimal reaction conditions were searched for each of selected feedstock. Potential benefit of individual cracking and cracking of grouped feedstocks in the contrast to cracking under the middle of optimums is evaluated and also compared to cracking under usual conditions.

Identification and characterization of the furfural and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural degradation pathways of Cupriavidus basilensis HMF14

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koopman, F.; De Winde, J.H. [Bio-Based Sustainable Industrial Chemistry (B-Basic), Delft University of Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft (Netherlands); Wierckx, N. [Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, P.O. Box 5057, 2600 GB, Delft (Netherlands); Ruijssenaars, H.J. [Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Quality of Life, Department of Bioconversion, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC, Delft (Netherlands); O' Neal Ingram, L. (ed.) [University of Florida, Gainesville, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2010-03-16

The toxic fermentation inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysates pose significant problems for the production of second-generation biofuels and biochemicals. Among these inhibitors, 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural (HMF) and furfural are specifically notorious. In this study, we describe the complete molecular identification and characterization of the pathway by which Cupriavidus basilensis HMF14 metabolizes HMF and furfural. The identification of this pathway enabled the construction of an HMF and furfural-metabolizing Pseudomonas putida. The genetic information obtained furthermore enabled us to predict the HMF and furfural degrading capabilities of sequenced bacterial species that had not previously been connected to furanic aldehyde metabolism. These results pave the way for in situ detoxification of lignocellulosic hydrolysates, which is a major step toward improved efficiency of utilization of lignocellulosic feedstock.

Identification and characterization of the furfural and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural degradation pathways of Cupriavidus basilensis HMF14

Science.gov (United States)

Koopman, Frank; Wierckx, Nick; de Winde, Johannes H.; Ruijssenaars, Harald J.

2010-01-01

The toxic fermentation inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysates pose significant problems for the production of second-generation biofuels and biochemicals. Among these inhibitors, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and furfural are specifically notorious. In this study, we describe the complete molecular identification and characterization of the pathway by which Cupriavidus basilensis HMF14 metabolizes HMF and furfural. The identification of this pathway enabled the construction of an HMF and furfural-metabolizing Pseudomonas putida. The genetic information obtained furthermore enabled us to predict the HMF and furfural degrading capabilities of sequenced bacterial species that had not previously been connected to furanic aldehyde metabolism. These results pave the way for in situ detoxification of lignocellulosic hydrolysates, which is a major step toward improved efficiency of utilization of lignocellulosic feedstock. PMID:20194784

A bionic system with Fenton reaction and bacteria as a model for bioprocessing lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kejing; Si, Mengying; Liu, Dan; Zhuo, Shengnan; Liu, Mingren; Liu, Hui; Yan, Xu; Shi, Yan

2018-01-01

The recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass offers a series of challenges for biochemical processing into biofuels and bio-products. For the first time, we address these challenges with a biomimetic system via a mild yet rapid Fenton reaction and lignocellulose-degrading bacterial strain Cupriavidus basilensis B-8 (here after B-8) to pretreat the rice straw (RS) by mimicking the natural fungal invasion process. Here, we also elaborated the mechanism through conducting a systematic study of physicochemical changes before and after pretreatment. After synergistic Fenton and B-8 pretreatment, the reducing sugar yield was increased by 15.6-56.6% over Fenton pretreatment alone and 2.7-5.2 times over untreated RS (98 mg g -1 ). Morphological analysis revealed that pretreatment changed the surface morphology of the RS, and the increase in roughness and hydrophilic sites enhanced lignocellulose bioavailability. Chemical components analyses showed that B-8 removed part of the lignin and hemicellulose which caused the cellulose content to increase. In addition, the important chemical modifications also occurred in lignin, 2D NMR analysis of the lignin in residues indicated that the Fenton pretreatment caused partial depolymerization of lignin mainly by cleaving the β- O -4 linkages and by demethoxylation to remove the syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) units. B-8 could depolymerize amount of the G units by cleaving the β-5 linkages that interconnect the lignin subunits. A biomimetic system with a biochemical Fenton reaction and lignocellulose-degrading bacteria was confirmed to be able for the pretreatment of RS to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis under mild conditions. The high digestibility was attributed to the destruction of the lignin structure, partial hydrolysis of the hemicellulose and partial surface oxidation of the cellulose. The mechanism of synergistic Fenton and B-8 pretreatment was also explored to understand the change in the RS and the bacterial effects on

Advanced Systems for Preprocessing and Characterizing Coal-Biomass Mixtures as Next-Generation Fuels and Feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karmis, Michael [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Luttrell, Gerald [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Ripepi, Nino [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Bratton, Robert [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Dohm, Erich [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)

2014-09-30

The research activities presented in this report are intended to address the most critical technical challenges pertaining to coal-biomass briquette feedstocks. Several detailed investigations were conducted using a variety of coal and biomass feedstocks on the topics of (1) coal-biomass briquette production and characterization, (2) gasification of coal-biomass mixtures and briquettes, (3) combustion of coal-biomass mixtures and briquettes, and (4) conceptual engineering design and economic feasibility of briquette production. The briquette production studies indicate that strong and durable co-firing feedstocks can be produced by co-briquetting coal and biomass resources commonly available in the United States. It is demonstrated that binderless coal-biomass briquettes produced at optimized conditions exhibit very high strength and durability, which indicates that such briquettes would remain competent in the presence of forces encountered in handling, storage and transportation. The gasification studies conducted demonstrate that coal-biomass mixtures and briquettes are exceptional gasification feedstocks, particularly with regard to the synergistic effects realized during devolatilization of the blended materials. The mixture combustion studies indicate that coal-biomass mixtures are exceptional combustion feedstocks, while the briquette combustion study indicates that the use of blended briquettes reduces NO_x, CO₂, and CO emissions, and requires the least amount of changes in the operating conditions of an existing coal-fired power plant. Similar results were obtained for the physical durability of the pilot-scale briquettes compared to the bench-scale tests. Finally, the conceptual engineering and feasibility analysis study for a commercial-scale briquetting production facility provides preliminary flowsheet and cost simulations to evaluate the various feedstocks, equipment selection and operating parameters.

Shorea robusta: A sustainable biomass feedstock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vishal Kumar Singh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The biomass feedstock needs to be available in a manner that is sustainable as well as renewable. However, obtaining reliable and cost effective supplies of biomass feedstock produced in a sustainable manner can prove to be difficult. Traditional biomass, mainly in the form of fallen leaves, fuel wood or dried dung, has long been the renewable and sustainable energy source for cooking and heating. Present study accounts for the biomass of fallen leaves of Shorea robusta, also known as sal, sakhua or shala tree, in the campus of BIT Mesra (Ranchi. These leaves are being gathered and burnt rather than being sold commercially. They contain water to varying degrees which affects their energy content. Hence, measurement of moisture content is critical for its biomass assessment. The leaves were collected, weighed, oven dried at 100oC until constant weight, then dry sample was reweighed to calculate the moisture content that has been driven off. By subtraction of moisture content from the initial weight of leaves, biomass was calculated. Using Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC the heat content of the leaves was calculated and the elemental analysis of leaf was done by CHNSO elemental analyser. Further, total biomass and carbon content of Sal tree was calculated using allometric equations so as to make a comparison to the biomass stored in dried fallen leaves

Lignocellulose-derived porous phosphorus-doped carbon as advanced electrode for supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Jianan; Qing, Yan; Wu, ChuTian; Zeng, Yinxiang; Wu, Yiqiang; Lu, Xihong; Tong, Yexiang

2017-05-01

Engineering porous heteroatom-doped carbon nanomaterials with remarkable capacitive performance is highly attractive. Herein, a simple and smart method has been developed to synthesize phosphorus (P) doped carbon with hierarchical porous structure derived from lignocellulose. Hierarchically porous P doped carbon is readily obtained by the pyrolysis of lignocellulose immersed in ZnCl2/NaH2PO4 aqueous solution, and exhibits excellent capacitive properties. The as-obtained P doped porous carbon delivers a significant capacitance of 133 F g-1 (146 mF cm-2) at a high current density of 10 A g-1 with outstanding rate performance. Furthermore, the P doped carbon electrode yields a long-term cycling durability with more than 97.9% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles as well. A symmetric supercapacitor with a maximum energy density of 4.7 Wh kg-1 is also demonstrated based on these P doped carbon electrodes.

Fungal Beta-Glucosidases: A Bottleneck in Industrial Use of Lignocellulosic Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter S. Lübeck

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Profitable biomass conversion processes are highly dependent on the use of efficient enzymes for lignocellulose degradation. Among the cellulose degrading enzymes, beta-glucosidases are essential for efficient hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass as they relieve the inhibition of the cellobiohydrolases and endoglucanases by reducing cellobiose accumulation. In this review, we discuss the important role beta-glucosidases play in complex biomass hydrolysis and how they create a bottleneck in industrial use of lignocellulosic materials. An efficient beta-glucosidase facilitates hydrolysis at specified process conditions, and key points to consider in this respect are hydrolysis rate, inhibitors, and stability. Product inhibition impairing yields, thermal inactivation of enzymes, and the high cost of enzyme production are the main obstacles to commercial cellulose hydrolysis. Therefore, this sets the stage in the search for better alternatives to the currently available enzyme preparations either by improving known or screening for new beta-glucosidases.

MODEL BASED BIOMASS SYSTEM DESIGN OF FEEDSTOCK SUPPLY SYSTEMS FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David J. Muth, Jr.; Jacob J. Jacobson; Kenneth M. Bryden

2013-08-01

Engineering feedstock supply systems that deliver affordable, high-quality biomass remains a challenge for the emerging bioenergy industry. Cellulosic biomass is geographically distributed and has diverse physical and chemical properties. Because of this feedstock supply systems that deliver cellulosic biomass resources to biorefineries require integration of a broad set of engineered unit operations. These unit operations include harvest and collection, storage, preprocessing, and transportation processes. Design decisions for each feedstock supply system unit operation impact the engineering design and performance of the other system elements. These interdependencies are further complicated by spatial and temporal variances such as climate conditions and biomass characteristics. This paper develops an integrated model that couples a SQL-based data management engine and systems dynamics models to design and evaluate biomass feedstock supply systems. The integrated model, called the Biomass Logistics Model (BLM), includes a suite of databases that provide 1) engineering performance data for hundreds of equipment systems, 2) spatially explicit labor cost datasets, and 3) local tax and regulation data. The BLM analytic engine is built in the systems dynamics software package PowersimTM. The BLM is designed to work with thermochemical and biochemical based biofuel conversion platforms and accommodates a range of cellulosic biomass types (i.e., herbaceous residues, short- rotation woody and herbaceous energy crops, woody residues, algae, etc.). The BLM simulates the flow of biomass through the entire supply chain, tracking changes in feedstock characteristics (i.e., moisture content, dry matter, ash content, and dry bulk density) as influenced by the various operations in the supply chain. By accounting for all of the equipment that comes into contact with biomass from the point of harvest to the throat of the conversion facility and the change in characteristics, the

Progressing batch hydrolysis process

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, J.D.

1985-01-10

A progressive batch hydrolysis process is disclosed for producing sugar from a lignocellulosic feedstock. It comprises passing a stream of dilute acid serially through a plurality of percolation hydrolysis reactors charged with feed stock, at a flow rate, temperature and pressure sufficient to substantially convert all the cellulose component of the feed stock to glucose. The cooled dilute acid stream containing glucose, after exiting the last percolation hydrolysis reactor, serially fed through a plurality of pre-hydrolysis percolation reactors, charged with said feedstock, at a flow rate, temperature and pressure sufficient to substantially convert all the hemicellulose component of said feedstock to glucose. The dilute acid stream containing glucose is cooled after it exits the last prehydrolysis reactor.

Capillary rheological studies of 17-4 PH MIM feedstocks prepared using a custom CSIR binder system

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Machaka, Ronald

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on an attempt to establish the rheological properties of 17-4 PH stainless steel MIM feedstocks prepared using a proprietary CSIR wax-based binder system. The influence of powder and feedstock characteristics on the rheological...

Bioconversion of lignocellulose-derived sugars to ethanol by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Madhavan, Anjali; Srivastava, Aradhana; Kondo, Akihiko; Bisaria, Virendra S

2012-03-01

Lignocellulosic biomass from agricultural and agro-industrial residues represents one of the most important renewable resources that can be utilized for the biological production of ethanol. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used for the commercial production of bioethanol from sucrose or starch-derived glucose. While glucose and other hexose sugars like galactose and mannose can be fermented to ethanol by S. cerevisiae, the major pentose sugars D-xylose and L-arabinose remain unutilized. Nevertheless, D-xylulose, the keto isomer of xylose, can be fermented slowly by the yeast and thus, the incorporation of functional routes for the conversion of xylose and arabinose to xylulose or xylulose-5-phosphate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can help to improve the ethanol productivity and make the fermentation process more cost-effective. Other crucial bottlenecks in pentose fermentation include low activity of the pentose phosphate pathway enzymes and competitive inhibition of xylose and arabinose transport into the cell cytoplasm by glucose and other hexose sugars. Along with a brief introduction of the pretreatment of lignocellulose and detoxification of the hydrolysate, this review provides an updated overview of (a) the key steps involved in the uptake and metabolism of the hexose sugars: glucose, galactose, and mannose, together with the pentose sugars: xylose and arabinose, (b) various factors that play a major role in the efficient fermentation of pentose sugars along with hexose sugars, and (c) the approaches used to overcome the metabolic constraints in the production of bioethanol from lignocellulose-derived sugars by developing recombinant S. cerevisiae strains.

Utilizing thermophilic microbe in lignocelluloses based bioethanol production: Review

Science.gov (United States)

Sriharti, Agustina, Wawan; Ratnawati, Lia; Rahman, Taufik; Salim, Takiyah

2017-01-01

The utilization of thermophilic microbe has attracted many parties, particularly in producing an alternative fuel like ethanol. Bioethanol is one of the alternative energy sources substituting for earth oil in the future. The advantage of using bioethanol is that it can reduce pollution levels and global warming because the result of bioethanol burning doesn't bring in a net addition of CO2 into environment. Moreover, decrease in the reserves of earth oil globally has also contributed to the notion on searching renewable energy resources such as bioethanol. Indonesia has a high biomass potential and can be used as raw material for bioethanol. The utilization of these raw materials will reduce fears of competition foodstuffs for energy production. The enzymes that play a role in degrading lignocelluloses are cellulolytic, hemicellulolytic, and lignolytic in nature. The main enzyme with an important role in bioethanol production is a complex enzyme capable of degrading lignocelluloses. The enzyme can be produced by the thermophilik microbes of the groups of bacteria and fungi such as Trichoderma viride, Clostridium thermocellum, Bacillus sp. Bioethanol production is heavily affected by raw material composition, microorganism type, and the condition of fermentation used.

Laccase Enzymology in Relation to Lignocellulose Processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sitarz, Anna Katarzyna

) and investigated for production of enzymes under such conditions (Paper I). G. lucidum was found to produce high amounts of laccase which corresponded to its exceptional growth on lignocellulosic substrate and lignin. This observation led to a hypothesis that this particular laccase might act in a synergistic way...... cocktail preparation. This discovery is significant considering the fact that the cellulase cocktail preparations, namely Cellic®CTec1 and Cellic®CTec2, are improved in respect to phenolic-derived, and end-substrate inhibitors. Additionally, the molecular dynamics simulations (MD) of the obtained amino...