Biofine Process Overview
The Biofine process is an acid-hydrolysis process for the conversion of cellulose to levulinic acid, a platform chemical with dozens of known potential uses.
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Biofine is a simple thermochemical process – allowing conversion of cellulose from a wide variety of sources.
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Biofine is an acid hydrolysis process – water content up to 50% in the feedstock is not a drag on system economics.
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No fermentation tanks are required – resulting in lower capital costs and a smaller physical footprint.
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No specially designed “bugs” are required – lowering operating costs and reducing risks from contamination and biological entropy.
Process and Products
The Biofine process works by “cracking” any lignocellulosic feedstock under the influence of dilute mineral acid and moderate temperature, with a novel dual reactor design that allows high throughput and high yields.
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The cellulose fraction is broken down to form levulinic acid and a formic acid co-product.
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The hemicellulose fraction is cracked to furfural, which can be delivered as a product, or upgraded to levulinic acid.
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Lignin, along with some degraded cellulose and hemicellulose and any inerts, comes out of the process as a carbon-rich char mixture which is combusted to produce power for the process and for export.
Each of these primary products become platform chemicals from which other valuable products can be produced.
Technological advantages:
Using only heat and pressure in a carefully controlled chemical environment, the Biofine conversion avoids the many challenges facing other biomass conversion technologies.
Gasification processes that convert the biomass into a gas and then catalyze the gas into liquid fuels can be hindered by the high natural variability in biomass.
Biological conversion faces the challenge of creating ‘bugs’ which can digest and withstand the variety of naturally occurring feedstocks and contaminants.
Feedstock advantages:
One of the greatest strengths of this process in the marketplace of biomass conversion technologies is its feedstock flexibility. Any input with sufficient cellulose and without excess ash is a potential feedstock – including low-value forest residues, whole tree chips, agricultural residues, food wastes, recycled paper, even sorted municipal solid waste.
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