Roel Johannes Maria Westerhof

Upgrading biomass-derived furans via acid-catalysis/hydrogenation: the remarkable difference between water and methanol as the solvent

In methanol 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfuryl alcohol (FA) can be selectively converted into methyl levulinate via acid-catalysis, whereas in water polymerization dominates. The hydrogenation of HMF, furan and furfural with the exception of FA is much more selective in methanol than in water.

Pyrolysis based bio-refinery for the production of bioethanol from demineralized ligno-cellulosic biomass

This paper evaluates a novel biorefinery approach for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass from pinewood. A combination of thermochemical and biochemical conversion was chosen with the main product being ethanol. Fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomasss with fractional condensation of the products was used as the thermochemical process to obtain a pyrolysis-oil rich in anhydro-sugars (levoglucosan) and low in inhibitors. After hydrolysis of these anhydro-sugars, glucose was obtained which was successfully fermented, after detoxification, to obtain bioethanol. Ethanol yields comparable to traditional biochemical processing were achieved (41.3% of theoretical yield based on cellulose fraction). Additional benefits of the proposed biorefinery concept comprise valuable by-products of the thermochemical conversion like bio-char, mono-phenols (production of BTX) and pyrolytic lignin as a source of aromatic rich fuel additive. The inhibitory effect of thermochemically derived fermentation substrates was quantified numerically to compare the effects of different process configurations and upgrading steps within the biorefinery approach.

The interplay between chemistry and heat/mass transfer during the fast pyrolysis of cellulose

Biomass derived sugars are expected to play an important role as platform chemicals. Herein, we have shown that in the temperature range of 370 °C to 765 °C of the heat source a constant high sugar yield of ∼70% (C-basis) can be obtained from the fast pyrolysis of Avicel cellulose while producing hardly any gas (<1%) and solid residue (<1% above 450 °C). This opens the opportunity to combine the advantages of thermochemical processes, such as high conversion rates and products not being heavily diluted with water, with an increased value of the product slate. In this paper, firstly the screen-heater used to study the very early stages of cellulose pyrolysis is introduced and characterized. Secondly, yield data as a function of process and pyrolysis conditions are presented and interpreted, also using mathematical models, with respect to chemistry, heat transfer, mass transfer and their interplay. It has been shown that next to heat transfer and the residence time in the vapor phase also the escape rate of products from the reacting particle (mass transfer) is a key process determining the overall mass loss rate and/or the product distribution.

Lipid accumulation from pinewood pyrolysates by rhodosporidium diobovatum and chlorella vulgaris for biodiesel production

This study evaluated the suitability of pinewood pyrolysates as a carbon source for lipid production and cultivation of the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium diobovatum and the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. Thermal decomposition of pinewood and fractional condensation were used to obtain an oil rich in levoglucosan which was upgraded to glucose by acid hydrolysis. Blending of pyrolytic sugars with pure glucose in both nitrogen rich and nitrogen limited conditions was studied for R. diobovatum, and under nitrogen limited conditions for C. vulgaris. Glucose consumption rate decreased with increasing proportions of pyrolytic sugars increasing cultivation time. While R. diobovatum was capable of growth in 100% (v/v) pyrolytic sugars, C. vulgaris growth declined rapidly in blends greater than 20% (v/v) until no growth was detected in blends >40%. Finally, the effects of pyrolysis sugars on lipid composition was evaluated and biodiesel fuel properties were estimated based on the lipid profiles.

Comparison of ethanol production from corn cobs and switchgrass following a pyrolysis-based biorefinery approach

BackgroundOne of the main obstacles in lignocellulosic ethanol production is the necessity of pretreatment and fractionation of the biomass feedstocks to produce sufficiently pure fermentable carbohydrates. In addition, the by-products (hemicellulose and lignin fraction) are of low value, when compared to dried distillers grains (DDG), the main by-product of corn ethanol. Fast pyrolysis is an alternative thermal conversion technology for processing biomass. It has recently been optimized to produce a stream rich in levoglucosan, a fermentable glucose precursor for biofuel production. Additional product streams might be of value to the petrochemical industry. However, biomass heterogeneity is known to impact the composition of pyrolytic product streams, as a complex mixture of aromatic compounds is recovered with the sugars, interfering with subsequent fermentation. The present study investigates the feasibility of fast pyrolysis to produce fermentable pyrolytic glucose from two abundant lignocellulosic biomass sources in Ontario, switchgrass (potential energy crop) and corn cobs (by-product of corn industry).ResultsDemineralization of biomass removes catalytic centers and increases the levoglucosan yield during pyrolysis. The ash content of biomass was significantly decreased by 82–90% in corn cobs when demineralized with acetic or nitric acid, respectively. In switchgrass, a reduction of only 50% for both acids could be achieved. Conversely, levoglucosan production increased 9- and 14-fold in corn cobs when rinsed with acetic and nitric acid, respectively, and increased 11-fold in switchgrass regardless of the acid used. After pyrolysis, different configurations for upgrading the pyrolytic sugars were assessed and the presence of potentially inhibitory compounds was approximated at each step as double integral of the UV spectrum signal of an HPLC assay. The results showed that water extraction followed by acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction was the best upgrading strategy. Ethanol yields achieved based on initial cellulose fraction were 27.8% in switchgrass and 27.0% in corn cobs.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that ethanol production from switchgrass and corn cobs is possible following a combined thermochemical and fermentative biorefinery approach, with ethanol yields comparable to results in conventional pretreatments and fermentation processes. The feedstock-independent fermentation ability can easily be assessed with a simple assay.