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Water for Energy and Fuel Production
system economics. This also alleviates the need for water removal from the
feedstock, which can be costly and cumbersome.
3. The process does not require lengthy pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis,
or fermentation. The reaction occurs in minutes rather than days resulting in lower capital costs, smaller physical footprint, and larger production rate.
4. No specially designed bugs or microorganisms are required, thus lowering
the costs and eliminating the risks from contamination and biological stability. The entire process is purely a chemical process.
5. One of the greatest strengths of the process is its ability to process a variety of feedstock. Any input furnished with sufficient cellulose or other
carbohydrates is a suitable feedstock including low-value forest residues,
whole tree chips, agricultural residues, food wastes, recycled paper, and
sorted MSW.
6. Gasification processes that convert biomass into gas and then catalyze
the gas into liquid fuels via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis can be hindered by
the high natural variability in biomass. The Biofine process, however, can
handle most cellulosic-based biomass without significant changes in the
process.
7. One of the drawbacks of the fermentation technology is that a very
effective enzyme and microbes for conversion of five-carbon sugars
such as xylose and pentose has not yet been found. The Biofine process works well for both six-carbon (glucose) and five-carbon (xylose)
sugars.
8. The cellulose fraction is broken down to form two coproducts: LA and
formic acid.
9. The hemicellulose fraction is broken down into furfural, which can be
delivered as a product with many other applications or can be chemically
converted to LA.
10. Lignins, along with some degraded cellulose and hemicellulose and any
inert components of the feed, come out of the process as a carbon-rich char
mixture that can be burned to produce steam and power for the process or
can be further converted to products such as carbon black, activated carbon,
or carbon fiber.
In sum, the Biofine process is operated as a two-stage continuous process that allows
the complete breakdown of cellulosic and starchy feedstock to LA, formic acid, furfural, and ligneous char in sufficiently high yield to be economically attractive. The
typical operating conditions of the Biofine process are as follows: the temperature in
the range of 190°C–220°C, the acid concentration in the range of 1–5 wt%, and the
residence time in the order of 15 min overall [8–11] (Fitzpatrick, 2011, pers. comm.).
The primary products are potent “platforms” for other valuable products including
fuels and chemicals. The major features of the Biofine process are schematically
illustrated in Figure 7.1 [12].
Water for Energy and Fuel Production
system economics. This also alleviates the need for water removal from the
feedstock, which can be costly and cumbersome.
3. The process does not require lengthy pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis,
or fermentation. The reaction occurs in minutes rather than days resulting in lower capital costs, smaller physical footprint, and larger production rate.
4. No specially designed bugs or microorganisms are required, thus lowering
the costs and eliminating the risks from contamination and biological stability. The entire process is purely a chemical process.
5. One of the greatest strengths of the process is its ability to process a variety of feedstock. Any input furnished with sufficient cellulose or other
carbohydrates is a suitable feedstock including low-value forest residues,
whole tree chips, agricultural residues, food wastes, recycled paper, and
sorted MSW.
6. Gasification processes that convert biomass into gas and then catalyze
the gas into liquid fuels via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis can be hindered by
the high natural variability in biomass. The Biofine process, however, can
handle most cellulosic-based biomass without significant changes in the
process.
7. One of the drawbacks of the fermentation technology is that a very
effective enzyme and microbes for conversion of five-carbon sugars
such as xylose and pentose has not yet been found. The Biofine process works well for both six-carbon (glucose) and five-carbon (xylose)
sugars.
8. The cellulose fraction is broken down to form two coproducts: LA and
formic acid.
9. The hemicellulose fraction is broken down into furfural, which can be
delivered as a product with many other applications or can be chemically
converted to LA.
10. Lignins, along with some degraded cellulose and hemicellulose and any
inert components of the feed, come out of the process as a carbon-rich char
mixture that can be burned to produce steam and power for the process or
can be further converted to products such as carbon black, activated carbon,
or carbon fiber.
In sum, the Biofine process is operated as a two-stage continuous process that allows
the complete breakdown of cellulosic and starchy feedstock to LA, formic acid, furfural, and ligneous char in sufficiently high yield to be economically attractive. The
typical operating conditions of the Biofine process are as follows: the temperature in
the range of 190°C–220°C, the acid concentration in the range of 1–5 wt%, and the
residence time in the order of 15 min overall [8–11] (Fitzpatrick, 2011, pers. comm.).
The primary products are potent “platforms” for other valuable products including
fuels and chemicals. The major features of the Biofine process are schematically
illustrated in Figure 7.1 [12].