Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FRACTION (Novel lignocellulose fractionation process for high purity lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose valorisation into added value products)
Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2022-11-30
The FRACTION project aims to develop and validate a new process to make 2nd generation biorefineries more sustainable and economically viable. 2nd generation biorefineries convert renewable, plant-based lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood or agricultural waste, into energy and other beneficial chemical products. While they clearly open a promising path towards a less fossil-dependent, more sustainable future, 2nd generation biorefineries are currently held back by the challenges arising from the nature of their feedstock.
The disruption of the highly complex structure of lignocellulose and the efficient separation into its three main components, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, is technically demanding, and most current methods either require high energy consumption and are far too expensive to be implemented on large scale, or they raise environmental concerns. As a result, most 2nd generation biorefineries concentrate on one of these components and do not exploit the full potential of the feedstock.
FRACTION develops a novel integrated biorefinery approach. The main objectives of the project are:
• To optimise a novel fractionation process, based on the green solvent ɣ-valerolactone (GVL), and demonstrating its economic viability.
• To maximise the purity and quality of the lignin and hemicellulose side streams.
• To demonstrate the suitability of these streams for the production of high added-value products.
• To demonstrate the high quality of cellulose obtained in the process.
The specific strength of FRACTION is that it integrates the full supply chain, starting from the supply of different types of biomass of European origin to the fractionation process, the downstream processing, including recovery of the green solvent, right to the production of a variety of end products. In this way, we aim to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of this novel concept for biorefineries, as well as its sustainability.
The disruption of the highly complex structure of lignocellulose and the efficient separation into its three main components, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, is technically demanding, and most current methods either require high energy consumption and are far too expensive to be implemented on large scale, or they raise environmental concerns. As a result, most 2nd generation biorefineries concentrate on one of these components and do not exploit the full potential of the feedstock.
FRACTION develops a novel integrated biorefinery approach. The main objectives of the project are:
• To optimise a novel fractionation process, based on the green solvent ɣ-valerolactone (GVL), and demonstrating its economic viability.
• To maximise the purity and quality of the lignin and hemicellulose side streams.
• To demonstrate the suitability of these streams for the production of high added-value products.
• To demonstrate the high quality of cellulose obtained in the process.
The specific strength of FRACTION is that it integrates the full supply chain, starting from the supply of different types of biomass of European origin to the fractionation process, the downstream processing, including recovery of the green solvent, right to the production of a variety of end products. In this way, we aim to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of this novel concept for biorefineries, as well as its sustainability.
The work in FRACTION is structured in 4 main lines that are hierarchically organised:
1. Optimisation of the fractionation process of the biomass.
2. Development of downstream processes of the three lignocellulose fractions and production of intermediate building blocks.
3. Formulation and validation of end products based on these building blocks.
4. Maximisation of project impacts.
Optimisation of the fractionation process:
During the first 6 months of project execution, this has been the main focus of our work. We have analysed the composition of different types of biomass – various types of hardwood and softwood as well as old cardboard – paying specific attention on the nature of the contained hemicellulose. This will allow us to select the best biomass for each downstream application.
We then started the analysis and optimisation of process parameters, such as particle size of the biomass, reaction time and temperature. We have fulfilled a first objective of FRACTION, as we could demonstrate for at least one type of feedstock that our method can extract >90% of the hemicellulose and >90% of the lignin, while >90% of the cellulose remains as solid with >90% purity.
Subsequently, we achieved a first scale-up of the process from small lab scale to 1L-scale. This has allowed us to produce first samples of cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose. In the next months we will produce samples on a larger scale, which will then be used for the work on the downstream processes.
Development of downstream processes and synthesis of chemical building blocks:
While the production of samples of hemicellulose and lignin for downstream processing is still under way, we have started using commercial samples, which mimic the composition of the ones obtained from biomass in FRACTION, for preliminary research in
these areas.
As a first step, we have proposed and tested various methods for recovery, purification and depolymerisation of sugars from hemicellulose mixtures. We have also obtained first results for the catalytic transformation of these sugars into chemical building blocks, such as alkyl lactates and fructose, with very promising yields.
Regarding the processing of lignin, we are following a similar strategy, using commercial samples to set-up the processes, which will later be validated and optimised using the real samples obtained from biomass fractionation.
Production of end products based on biomass fractionation:
We have carried out first test, where we have replaced part of the phenols used in standard resins by lignin. Results are promising, and we will now concentrate on improving the synthesis protocol to optimise the properties of the resins.
Maximisation of project impacts: To make the FRACTION concept attractive for bioindustries, it is paramount to demonstrate its sustainability and economic viability. We have started to gather process data for the different steps, both from literature and from. Based on this data, we will build a process model, which will subsequently be used to optimise the process.
Another crucial aspect is to establish a dialogue with key players from the European bioeconomy to understand their needs and introduce them to the project. For this aim, we have organised a first encounter with representatives of the bioindustry in Spain, where the first project meeting was held.
1. Optimisation of the fractionation process of the biomass.
2. Development of downstream processes of the three lignocellulose fractions and production of intermediate building blocks.
3. Formulation and validation of end products based on these building blocks.
4. Maximisation of project impacts.
Optimisation of the fractionation process:
During the first 6 months of project execution, this has been the main focus of our work. We have analysed the composition of different types of biomass – various types of hardwood and softwood as well as old cardboard – paying specific attention on the nature of the contained hemicellulose. This will allow us to select the best biomass for each downstream application.
We then started the analysis and optimisation of process parameters, such as particle size of the biomass, reaction time and temperature. We have fulfilled a first objective of FRACTION, as we could demonstrate for at least one type of feedstock that our method can extract >90% of the hemicellulose and >90% of the lignin, while >90% of the cellulose remains as solid with >90% purity.
Subsequently, we achieved a first scale-up of the process from small lab scale to 1L-scale. This has allowed us to produce first samples of cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose. In the next months we will produce samples on a larger scale, which will then be used for the work on the downstream processes.
Development of downstream processes and synthesis of chemical building blocks:
While the production of samples of hemicellulose and lignin for downstream processing is still under way, we have started using commercial samples, which mimic the composition of the ones obtained from biomass in FRACTION, for preliminary research in
these areas.
As a first step, we have proposed and tested various methods for recovery, purification and depolymerisation of sugars from hemicellulose mixtures. We have also obtained first results for the catalytic transformation of these sugars into chemical building blocks, such as alkyl lactates and fructose, with very promising yields.
Regarding the processing of lignin, we are following a similar strategy, using commercial samples to set-up the processes, which will later be validated and optimised using the real samples obtained from biomass fractionation.
Production of end products based on biomass fractionation:
We have carried out first test, where we have replaced part of the phenols used in standard resins by lignin. Results are promising, and we will now concentrate on improving the synthesis protocol to optimise the properties of the resins.
Maximisation of project impacts: To make the FRACTION concept attractive for bioindustries, it is paramount to demonstrate its sustainability and economic viability. We have started to gather process data for the different steps, both from literature and from. Based on this data, we will build a process model, which will subsequently be used to optimise the process.
Another crucial aspect is to establish a dialogue with key players from the European bioeconomy to understand their needs and introduce them to the project. For this aim, we have organised a first encounter with representatives of the bioindustry in Spain, where the first project meeting was held.
The aim of the FRACTION project is to provide a competitive lignocellulosic biorefinery concept, flexible to adapt and to a wide range of feedstocks. On a long run, this project can thus be a game changer for the bioeconomy with relevant environmental, economic and societal impacts.
Environmental impact: The project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain through improvements in a range of production methods. It will also increase energy efficiency by more than 50% when benchmarked against current state-of-the-art methods. It will also contribute to the EU’s climate neutral by 2050 strategy through creating energy and resource efficient biorefineries.
Economic impact: FRACTION will allow biorefinery operators to leverage the full potential of the biomass instead of discarding part of its valuable contents. This will provide an opportunity to bio-based companies to extend their portfolio and open new revenue streams. The project will increase the total economic value of lignocellulose processing-derived products by at least 20%. In addition, it will reduce separation costs in processing by at least 20% – a significant contribution, given that this can be as much as 40% of overall production costs.
Wider societal implications: From a social perspective, the FRACTION project will demonstrate the potential for creating new jobs in rural and coastal areas within the bio-based economy. This will make these less-urban settings easier and more attractive places to live and work. The validation of the process for different types of biomass will make the process applicable in different geographical settings.
Environmental impact: The project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain through improvements in a range of production methods. It will also increase energy efficiency by more than 50% when benchmarked against current state-of-the-art methods. It will also contribute to the EU’s climate neutral by 2050 strategy through creating energy and resource efficient biorefineries.
Economic impact: FRACTION will allow biorefinery operators to leverage the full potential of the biomass instead of discarding part of its valuable contents. This will provide an opportunity to bio-based companies to extend their portfolio and open new revenue streams. The project will increase the total economic value of lignocellulose processing-derived products by at least 20%. In addition, it will reduce separation costs in processing by at least 20% – a significant contribution, given that this can be as much as 40% of overall production costs.
Wider societal implications: From a social perspective, the FRACTION project will demonstrate the potential for creating new jobs in rural and coastal areas within the bio-based economy. This will make these less-urban settings easier and more attractive places to live and work. The validation of the process for different types of biomass will make the process applicable in different geographical settings.