Available Technologies

Executive Summary

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have developed a new pretreatment technology for lignocellulosic biomass that results in increased sugar yields at a reduced cost and increased speed, and generates a separate lignin stream. This larger, faster, and cheaper yield in sugar directly correlates to improved fuel and chemical conversion processing.

Description of Technology

MSU inventors have found a way to improve the pretreatment process that releases sugars from plant material; these sugars are then converted into fuel. Compared to other techniques, pretreatment with our patent-pending process results in increased sugar yields that can be produced more quickly and at a reduced cost. Additionally, a separate lignin stream is generated, which can then be valorized. Under relatively mild alkaline conditions and in the presence of a suitable oxidant, a metal-ligand complex catalyzes the delignification of biomass, significantly improving the digestibility of the sugars.

Key Benefits

• Increased sugar yield - biomass produces increased fermentable sugars (glucose, xylose)
• Reduced pretreatment cost - less chemicals and enzymes needed for pretreatment
• Faster pretreatment process - pretreatment time is shorter with use of a catalyst
• Separate lignin stream – lignin is suitable for valorization 

Applications

• Biofuels
• Biomass Power
• Wood and Pulp

Patent Status: 

Patent application published, publication number 20150352540

Licensing Rights Available

Full licensing rights available

Inventors: Dr. David Hodge, Dr. Eric Hegg, Dr. Namita Bansal, Dr. Vaidyanathan Mathrubootham, Dr. Zhenglun Li, Mr. Charles Chen, Mr. Alexander Toulokhonov

Tech ID: TEC2014-0065