The 40 Hottest Technologies of 2018 – as voting gets underway, the nominees in depth
Two-step process converts lignin into simple aromatic compounds
What does it do, how does it work, who is it aimed at?
Lignin is a major component of plant cell walls. It is a cheap byproduct of pulp and biofuel production and is one of the few naturally occurring sources of valuable aromatic compounds. The ability to convert this polymer into aromatics and other valuable products has the potential to improve the sustainability and economic viability of lignocellulosic biorefineries. In a study that was recognized with a Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), a U.S. Department of Energy-funded Bioenergy Research Center led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described a new process that could capture the full and unrealized value of biofuels by converting what is currently burned as fuel into valuable products. At the heart of this process is the ability to convert processed lignin fractions into chemically defined products for conversion into high-value products.
Competitively, what gives this technology an edge?
In most paper and pulping mills, lignin is a near waste product burned for process heat. GLBRC researcher and UW-Madison professor Shannon Stahl, however, has developed a novel way to convert lignin into high-value chemicals. Stahl and his team discovered an efficient, cost-effective method for breaking down lignin’s six-carbon rings – the “aromatics” – into individual components. Traditionally sourced from petroleum, aromatics are used in a wide variety of products, including plastic soda bottles, Kevlar, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, and are essential components of jet fuel. Converting what has been a large volume waste product into a new source of renewable aromatics could transform the economics of industries that process wood and other biomass. And Stahl’s method helps open the door to a more economical way forward in replacing petroleum-derived fuels and chemicals with bio-renewable materials.
What stage of development is this technology at right now?
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