SBIR Phase I: Selective Thermochemical Delignification for Industrial Cellulose Pulp Production

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the chemical transformation of herbaceous materials into a high-value industrial cellulosic pulp. Furthermore, this approach to manufacturing cellulosic pulp significantly reduces production costs due to lower energy, chemical, and water requirements compared to traditional technology. It also insulates manufacturers from volatility while meeting the rising commercial demand for advanced packaging solutions. The primary technical innovation of this project is a selective thermochemical delignification process engineered to target the unique molecular architecture of herbaceous materials. While traditional pulping methods are designed for the high recalcitrance of wood lignin, this project utilizes a lower-intensity aqueous cycle to selectively solubilize specific lignin units found in herbaceous materials at ambient pressure. This approach aims to solve the technical challenge of maintaining a high degree of polymerization in herbaceous cellulose while efficiently removing other contaminants through mechanical fractionation. The research goals include validating the chemical recovery efficiency of a proprietary closed-loop catalyst system and establishing the fundamental reaction kinetics required for consistent fiber strength across variable seasonal materials. By successfully demonstrating this selective digestion at scale, the project intends to establish a new framework for the industrial-grade conversion of heterogeneous herbaceous materials into high-performance cellulose substrates. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.