Growing Strong Industries ~ Developing New Ideas ~ Nurturing Natural Resources
Natural products and chemical intermediates
research and development
1. (Optional) Pre-extraction
2. Pre-treatment
3. Product separation
4. Hydrolysis
5. Fermentation
6. Product recovery
1. <none>
2. Dry grind
3. Corn Oil Recovery
4. Amylase addition
5. Fermentation
6. Distillation & Dehydraton
1. (Optional) Pre-extraction
2. Pre-treatment
3. Product separation
4. Hydrolysis
5. Fermentation
6. Product recovery
1. Hot water
2. Steam ex., AFEX, Organosolv
3. Centrifuge, Washing, Gravity
4. Acid, Cellulase
5. Fermentation, Chemical
6. Distillation & Filtration
4
Highest value-added products
~50% of gross revenue
Available substitutes
Biodiesel
CNG
Fisher Tropes fuels
Ethanol
Solar + Electric
FBRProcess
Organosolv chemicals
Organosolv lignin
Bio-Chems Organosolv chemicals
Organosolv lignin
RBP Bio-Chems
Source: US Department of Energy
Process technologies are
estimated to be capable of
producing products in
markets comprising 2/3 of
the total Green Chemical
Market
Global
Markets
North American
Markets
5
6
Industry Sector Revenue per ton biomass End user Markets
Pulp & Paper $500 - $800 Writing and Printing
Newsprint & Magazine
Packaging
Nonwovens
Cellulosic ethanol $140 Fuel blends
Forest Biorefinery -
Intermediates
$700 - $1000 Commodity and fine chemicals
Plastics & polymers
Biofuels
Packaging
Forest Biorefinery +
Formulations and Value added
products
$3500-$10,000 Consumer goods
Fragrance and flavors
Paints and adhesives
Biomass
Forestry products / wastes
Agricultural Wastes
Hot Water
Wash
Black Liquor /
Lignin Separation
Organosolv
Fractionation
Red
Liquor
Separation
Recycled
Water
Xylose / Xylan
Pulp Lignin
Solvent
Chemical/Fuel
per
Market Demand
Enzymatic
Hydrolysis
to Sugar
Fractional
Separation
Water + Steam
Steam
Solvent + Steam Recycled
Solvent
Organic Chemicals
Fuel Addetives
Steam
Stage 1: Tri-component Production • Pulp (Cellulose)
• Lignin
• Solvent
• 2007
• 2010
• 2011
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• Future?
• Research Program begins
• US DoD Research grants $4.7M
• Proof of Concept
• Foundational Patents published
• Co-development with AST
• American Science &Technology (Wausau)
• Lab Scale (20 tons/yr)
• Grant Application for Pilot Plant (500 tons/yr)
• Pending patent published
• Mar - Awarded $2.5M grant for Pilot facility
• Aug - Refined BioProducts LLC (RBP) formed
• Sept - Pending patent published
• Sept - Awarded $25K Bus Development grant
• Feb - RBP develops prototype business model
• Jan - Pilot Plant online
• Feb - Serving customer R&D
• Consortium development
• Begin Construction of Demonstration Scale Facility
• Plan Production Scale Facility (350K tons/yr)
Development Timeline
3 Stages of Product/Market Development
9
Stage 2: Value-Added Chemicals
Stage 3: Value-Added
Products • Formulations
• Compounding
• Applications
• New Companies
• Co-development
Stage 1: Tri-component Production • Pulp (Cellulose)
• Lignin
• Solvent
3rd Stage Processes
Value-Added Products
3rd Stage Processes
Value-Added Products
3rd Stage Processes
Value-Added Products
Source Stage 1 Product Chemistry Markets/further use
Paper mill waste
Agricultural residuals
Forest biomass
Cellulose
Paper & Packaging
Cellulose nanocrystals
Edible sugar
Fermentation
Agricultural residuals
Forest biomass
Lignin
Polymers & composites
Refinery input
Agricultural residuals
Forest biomass
Furfural
Industrial solvent
Refinery input
Agricultural residuals
Forest biomass
Esters and mixed
bio-chemicals
Solvents
Paint and coatings
Agricultural residuals
Forest biomass
Vanillin Food ingredients
Fragrences
Inputs Microbe Output Market/Further use
Starch
Cellulose
Sugar
Saccharomyces
cerevisiae
Ethanol Fuel blend
Clostridium
acetobutylicum
n-butanol Fuel
Biorefinery input
Escherichia coli
Synechococcus spp.
Isoprene
Latex, Tire & Rubber
Refinery input
Escherichia coli
Synechococcus spp.
a,b-Pinene Solvent
Refinery input
Escherichia coli
Synechococcus spp.
Limonene Lubricants
Alcanivorax
borkumensis
Wax esters
Lubricants
Refinery input
Input Process Output Technology
developer
Lignin Catalytic treatment
Bio-BTX
(Benzene, Toluene,
Xylene)
Energy research Centre
of the Netherlands
Hydrotreating +
Catalyst
Bio-gasoline (petrol)
Bio-Diesel
Bio-Jet
Univ. of Utah
Washington State Univ.
US Navy
Solvolysis
Marine fuel Eindhoven Univ.
Netherlands
Furfural
Catalysis +
hydrotreating
Bio-jet EU Partnership,
Chinese partnership,
others.
Isoprene, Pinene
Catalysis +
hydrotreating
Bio-jet
US Navy
HOW CAN UNIVERSITIES SOLVE THE GLOBAL GRAND RESEARCH
CHALLENGES?
Today, it is recognized that research must be internationally driven and connected at
multiple levels to achieve scale. Nations cannot afford to tackle the complex problems
of an interconnected world alone: global challenges require global solutions. There is a
powerful strategic demand for universities to join consortia, work with a range of
partners, and position themselves in a global context.
https://www.britishcouncil.org/
Emerging Power House in Biorefining
NRRI
AST
Ace Ethanol
Butrolix LLC
Actives Factory
Bio-Economy Coalition
SWIT
IRRRB
Sygetis/GF Biochem
Sweetwater
Foundations?
Who else?