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Lignocellulosic Biorefineries

BURGO

18 June 2012

Jean-Luc WERTZ

Plan1. Definitions2. Biomass3. Analogy with classical refinery4. Biomass conversion processes

- Biochemical platform- Thermochemical platform

Biorefining- Definition

• Biorefining is the sustainable processing of biomass into biobased products (food, feed, chemicals and materials) and bioenergy (fuels, power, heat)

• Its objective is to optimize the valorization of all plant components

Biorefineries

• Two types: first-generation biorefineries and second-generation biorefineries

• Two variants: biorefineries focused on products and biorefineries focused on energy

First- and second-generation biorefineries

• First generation: refining from food biomass (sugar cane, corn grains, vegetablel oil…)

• Second generation: refining from non-food biomass (agriculture and forest residues, a fraction of municipal and industrial waste…)

Product and energy-focused biorefineries

• Product-focused biorefineries: biomass is fractionated into high-value products with low environmental impact, by-products being used for energy

• Energy-focused biorefineries: biomass is first used for energy, and by-products are sold for feed or converted

Mean composition of lignocellulosic biomass

Molecular structure of cellulose

• Straight linear polysaccharide forming microfibrils• Glucose units linked by β 1-4 glycosidic linkages• One reducing end and one non-reducing end

Hemicelluloses• Monomers: pentoses and hexoses• Branched polysaccharides• Example: xyloglucans

LigninMonomers : 3 different monolignols:- Hydroxyphenyl, H (1)- Guaiacyl, G (2)- Syringyl, S (3)

LigninCrosslinked polymers of monolignols

From oil refinery to biomass refinery

Crude oilFuels

(Energy) Building blocks

(Petrochemistry)Specialties

(e. g. lubricants)

From oil refinery to biomass refinery

BiomassBiofuels

(Bioenergy) Building blocks

(Agro-bio chemistry)Specialties

(e. g. biolubricants)

Conversion processes

• Biochemical platform- Acid hydrolysis (diluted or concentrated)- Enzymatic hydrolysis

• Thermochemical platform- Combustion- Gasification- Pyrolysis & hydrothermal treatment

Diluted acid hydrolysis

Concentrated acid hydrolysis

Enzymatic hydrolysis

Biochemical platform Challenges

- Biomass pretreatment- Cost and efficiency of enzymes- Fermentation of C5 and C6 sugars - Lignin valorization

Selected biomass pretreatments

- Steam explosion- Organosolv with ethanol- Organosolv with acetic/formic acid

to be compared with alkaline hydrolysis used by papermaking (Kraft)

Lignol ethanol-based organosolv process

Source: Lignol

Process effect: - stong removal of lignin- weak removal of hemicelluloses

CIMV acetic/formic acid-based organosolv process

Source: CIMV

Steam explosion

- Biomass rapidly heated with high-pressure steam- Mixture held for a period of time to promote hemicellulose hydrolysis- Rapid reduction of steam pressure to obtain an explosive decompression- Process effect: strong removal of hemicelluloses

Source: N. Jacquet et al., GxABT

Borregaard’s biorefinery concept

Source: BorregaardCharacteristics:- Sulfite process involving lignosulfonates- Sugars fermented to ethanol- Vanillin from lignosulfonate

Borregaard’s biochemicals

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Source: Borregaard

Thermochemical platform: primary routes

Thermochemical platformGasification + Fischer-Tropsch

Biomass conversion into synthesis gas, which is then

converted into liquid biofuels (BtL)

Thermochemical platformPyrolysis + catalytic conversion

Biomass conversion into bio-oil, which is then converted into liquid biofuels

UPM biorefinery

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Source: UPM

5 process steps:- Making tall oil- Pretreating tall oil- Hydrotreatment (H2)- Recycle gas purification- Fractionation: biodiesel

Thank you for your attention