Lignin extracts with (L) and without (R) formaldehyde. via Alain Herzog/J. Luterbacher/EPFL
Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels means turning to plant-derived biofuels and chemicals. But producing them cost-effectively from plants and other organic matter – collectively referred to as biomass – is a major engineering challenge.
Most biomass comes in the form of non-edible plants like trees, grass, and algae, which contain sugars that can be fermented to produce fuel. But biomass also contains lignin, a bulky, complex organic polymer that fills wood, bark, and generally gives plants rigidity. Because it is difficult to process, lignin is usually discarded during biofuel processing. EPFL scientists have now turned lignin from a nuisance to an important source of biofuel by simply adding a common chemical, converting up to 80% of it into valuable molecules for biofuel and plastics. The patent-pending method, which can be scaled up to industrial levels, is published in Science.
Complex, but energy-dense
Lignin is an enormously complex biopolymer, filling the hard wall that surrounds each plant cell. In fact, lignin makes up almost a third of plant biomass, and its molecular structure gives it an energy density 30% greater than that of the sugars that are traditionally processed into biofuel. The problem is that lignin is difficult to extract and transform. Due to its instability, lignin usually rapidly gets destroyed during its extraction and most researchers have failed to efficiently break it apart for upgrade into fuels or chemicals.
Now, an international team of researchers led by Jeremy Luterbacher at EPFL, has shown that they can easily break lignin apart simply by adding the chemical formaldehyde to the process. Formaldehyde is one of the most widely used chemicals in industry, and it is simple and cheap to produce. The researchers found that formaldehyde stabilizes lignin and prevents it from degrading, leading to high yields of building blocks that can be used to make substitutes for petrochemicals. These yields were 3-7 times higher than those obtained from lignin without formaldehyde.
Scaling up
“Depending on the wood used we get between 50 and 80%,” says Jeremy Luterbacher, who became known in 2014 for developing a method for extracting sugars from plants safely and cheaply (also published in Science). “The chemistry is relatively straightforward; the real challenge is actually finding investors for a pilot facility to demonstrate this.” The market, he says, is difficult for sustainable energy largely because of inconsistent political support and widely varying energy prices. Investors for such innovative platforms are hard to come by in an uncertain market, especially considering the competition of well-established fossil fuels.
“The technology looks really good,” says Luterbacher. “If the global political establishment sent a consistent message about moving away from fossil fuels, then investors would take notice. But I think Switzerland is a great place to get started. The Swiss have been unwavering supporters of clean energy and could help demonstrate new technologies, and so I’m quite optimistic about the future.”
Learn more: Turning biofuel waste into wealth in a single step
The Latest on: Biofuel waste
via Google News
The Latest on: Biofuel waste
- New report on the role of biofuels for shipping’s decarbonisation launched at UN Climate Change Conferenceon December 11, 2019 at 4:37 am
While biofuels represents one of the solutions today, we need to continue innovating, investing in and scaling up other potential options to carry us through and beyond 2050.” 2. Biomass can originate ...
- Scania Delivers 450 Buses to Abidjan - Studies Local Biofuel Productionon December 11, 2019 at 1:10 am
Scania, in collaboration with Agence Nationale d'Appui au Développement Rural (ANADER), has initiated a feasibility study funded by Swedfund, the Swedish Development Finance Institution, to assess the ...
- Norton Rose Fulbright, Lefosse Advise on Biofuels JV in Brazilon December 10, 2019 at 3:48 pm
Ethanol produced from sugarcane is one of the most carbon-efficient biofuels available globally, with life cycle greenhouse gas emissions ... It will also generate renewable electricity through its ...
- Neste to supply KLM additional biojet fuel for Schiphol flightson December 10, 2019 at 9:58 am
Furthermore, Neste is joining KLM’s Corporate BioFuel Programme. In doing so, Neste will reduce the CO2 emissions of ... KLM only sources sustainable aviation fuels based on waste and residue ...
- Canadian Biofuel Firm Leads Global Technology Sharing Efforton December 10, 2019 at 8:52 am
which is aimed at lowering risks for new entrants into the biofuel transportation business. "Internationally recognized technology companies with long track records of success in the biogas industry ...
- Biofuel options for aviation running lowon December 9, 2019 at 11:55 am
The role for first generation biofuels, made from food crops, is now being limited. Instead, the new renewables policy is shifting to tightening the sustainability criteria for advanced versions, ...
- Public Pulse: Pricey trail repairs; A plea for Perdue on biofuels; Agrees with Innison December 9, 2019 at 1:00 am
Sorry, Nebraska taxpayers, but unless this is fully funded by the people who use it, it would be a colossal waste of money. My wife and I traveled this route (Highway ... in Council Bluffs this June ...
- Farmers left cold by ‘dud’ biofuelon December 8, 2019 at 3:01 pm
The UK government requires diesel fuels to be blended with a minimum of 7 per cent biofuel, made from materials such as oil, fat and grease waste, under rules introduced to reduce the pollution from ...
- Auckland kerbside food waste collections a step closer with contract signingon December 4, 2019 at 3:41 pm
The company will convert the waste into biofuel and liquid bio-fertiliser. It follows a trial which started in Papakura last year and covered 17,000 households. The region-wide rollout was supposed to ...
via Bing News