SBIR-STTR Award

Current methods to break-down biomass into simple sugars for fermentation constitute the core barrier to the production of ethanol with minimal energy and water input, and waste output. In particular, the present practice of enzymatically hydrolyzing biomass into its constituent sugars in aqueous media suffers from slow reaction rates. This project will develop an ionic liquid pretreatment process that substantially improves the efficiency of saccharification (hydrolysis of sugar polymers into monomeric sugar) of cellulose (the most recalcitrant biomass component) and hemicellulose. Ionic liquids are a new class of nonvolatile solvents that can be tuned to interact with a wide variety of compounds including cellulose. In Phase I, the processing method will be developed for high-solids loadings in the pretreatment step for variable biomass sources. In Phase II, the processing steps will be scaled up and developed at kilogram levels, in preparation for pilot scale demonstration (i.e., 10 % of full scale).

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
The ionic liquid pretreatment strategy should greatly accelerate the hydrolysis reaction, significantly reducing the cost of lignocellulose conversion to bioethanol - cost savings of approximately 30% are anticipated for both capital costs and operating costs. In addition, because of their extremely low volatility, ionic liquids are expected to have minimal environmental impact on air quality compared to most other volatile solvent systems.

In an economy based on renewable resources, plant biomass can provide a sustainable feedstock for future ¿biorefineries,¿ partially replacing conventional petrochemical refineries. Toward this objective, this project addresses the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass to generate sugars and lignin, which form the precursors for producing biofuels and value added chemicals. Specifically, the approach involves the development of a novel pretreatment method that is efficient and yet facile with regards to the severity of the operating parameters. In Phase I, the viability of this pretreatment method was demonstrated, and the unique features that distinguish this method from several leading pretreatment methods were identified. Phase II will focus on the scale up and techno-economic optimization of this promising pretreatment method, with special emphasis on the development of techniques that facilitate the recovery of the biomass components.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
Successful scale up of the technology should enable the cost-competitive production of sugars and lignin from biomass, which in turn could tremendously increase the commercialization prospects of cellulosic ethanol, as well as other biofuels and products.