Low-Cost Route to Glycols from Lignocellulosic Biomass

The U.S. has abundant biomass resources and with the right technology, has the potential to convert these renewable resources into valuable industrial products and bio-chemicals. However, current high temperature thermochemical processes to convert renewable feedstocks to fuels or chemicals such as pyrolysis and gasification or low temperature enzymatic processes are simply not cost-competitive with conventional fossil-fuel based processes. This SBIR project seeks to produce large volume commodity chemicals such as ethylene and propylene glycol from lignocellulosic biomass, thereby reducing the use of non-renewable raw materials in chemicals manufacturing. This project applies novel reaction and reactor concepts with environmentally benign homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts in a multi-step process that deconstructs and stabilizes biomass before conversion to ethylene and propylene glycols The Phase I R&D program aims to prove the feasibility of this concept using a benchscale reactor and a novel catalytic reaction system. An engineered catalyst responsible for achieving the conversion of biomass to glycols will be designed, synthesized, and tested. Both catalyst parameters and process variables will be optimized. A process economic evaluation will be made to benchmark the advantages of this new concept over conventional technology. The proposed technology has been designed to offer significant technical and economic advantages over existing processes. Low capital and operating costs result from sound process design coupled with advanced chemistry and catalysis. A cost-effective Biomass to Glycols technology represents an enormous opportunity for rural communities. Agricultural residues, which are often left to rot in the fields, could be collected and sold to enhance the value of growing food crops.