Green Chemistry

Miscanthus biomass is pretreated thermochemically and the lignin-rich fraction is seperated from cellulose and hemicellulose. The lignin-rich fraction can be used to supply electricity and heat for the bioethanol refinery or could be used for other applications, e.g. production of Phenols. The cellulose and hemicellulose fractions are enzymatically hydrolysed into C5 and C6 sugars and these sugars are fermented into bioethanol in a biotechnological process. Beside the biofuel application, bioethanol can be also used as chemical or solvent in industrial processes or consumer-products.

In GRACE, the complete bioethanol value chain was demonstrated successfully by INA in collaboration with Clariant. Bioethanol production using miscanthus cultivated on abandoned land in Croatia and sequestration of fermentation off-gases (CO2) in expired oil wells offer the potential to produce zero or even negative emission biofuel.

Azelaic acid, received from plant oils, is a promising platform chemical for various chemical applications, such us for the production of biopolymers for biodegradable bioplastics.

In GRACE, Novamont demonstrated the upscaling of the azelaic acid production and developed novel, bio-based and biodegradable materials using Azelaic acid and butanediol. The application of such materials was demonstrated in an agricultural context and the resulting products were developed very close towards commercialisation.

Miscanthus biomass is pretreated thermochemically and the cellulose and hemicellulose is seperated from the lignin-rich fraction. While the lignin-rich fraction can be utilized for other applications e.g. production of phenols, the cellulose and hemicellulose is hydrolysed into sugars and finally converted into 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in another thermochemical reaction. HMF is a very promising renewable platform chemical, which can be used to produce a range of chemical products, including various bioplastics and bio-based resins.

In GRACE, the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into HMF and the separation of the HMF from the liquid solution was demonstrated successfully by the University of Hohenheim and AVA Biochem. Miscanthus biomass thereby proved to be an environmental sustainable and economic attractive feedstock to allow further commercialisation of this process.

Miscanthus biomass is pretreated thermochemically and the lignin-rich fraction is seperated from cellulose and hemicellulose. The lignin-rich fraction is converted into phenols in a thermochemical process and the cellulose and hemicellulose can be used for other applications, e.g. HMF production. Phenols are a promising building block for the chemical industry and can be utilized e.g. for production of bioplastics and bio-based resins.

In GRACE, AVA Biochem developed a novel bio-based, formaldehyde-free resins using HMF and phenols and demonstrated its application in miscanthus fibre boards. Although the application conditions require further optimization, the further commercialisation of this formaldehyde-free resin in the wood- and furniture industry seems to be very promising and will be continued after the project end.