| Title | New Conversion Process Turns Biomass 'Waste' into Lucrative Chemical Products | |
| Date | Sunday December 21 2014, @11:09AM | |
| Author | LaminatorX | |
| Topic | ||
| from the side-cycling dept. | ||
Science Daily - New conversion process turns biomass 'waste' into lucrative chemical products
A new catalytic process is able to convert what was once considered biomass waste into lucrative chemical products that can be used in fragrances, flavorings or to create high-octane fuel for racecars and jets.
A team of researchers from Purdue University's Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels, or C3Bio, has developed a process that uses a chemical catalyst and heat to spur reactions that convert lignin into valuable chemical commodities. Lignin is a tough and highly complex molecule that gives the plant cell wall its rigid structure.
"We are able to take lignin -- which most biorefineries consider waste to be burned for its heat -- and turn it into high-value molecules that have applications in fragrance, flavoring and high-octane jet fuels," Abu-Omar said. "We can do this while simultaneously producing from the biomass lignin-free cellulose, which is the basis of ethanol and other liquid fuels. We do all of this in a one-step process."
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