To overcome the problems of the high energy consumption, low efficiency, and hard separation of the main components of lignocelluloses, a novel dynamically extrusion pretreatment technology was developed by Green ChemoCatalysis Group led by Prof. MU Xindong, at Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), Chinese Academy of Sciences,

Prof. MU’s research work was focusing on the process of the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials for “Ten-thousand tons/year bio-based diols system”. They have developed a dynamically extrusion pretreatment technology with high efficiency, relatively low energy consumption, and low water usage, and established the pilot equipment for the pretreatment system (one thousand tons per year). 12 hours of continuous operation data on the pilot system showed that the glucose yield after pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis could be above 90% under the pretreatment conditions of high solid concentration (about 35%), low temperature (about 98oC) and low alkali charge (6%).

After the optimization of the pretreatment process and the economic evaluation, a set of enzymatic hydrolysis, purification and concentration (EPC) system was designed by the group, on the basis of the dynamically extrusion pretreatment equipment. The industrial operation mode can be simulated by the EPC system, and 20 kg non-food lignocellulosic sugars per day can be produced.

The demonstration and cost evaluation for the conversion of many kinds of lignocelluloses (corn stover, wheat straw, bagasse, wood chips, etc.) to monosaccharide can be achieved by the platform of pretreatment and saccharification system developed by QIBEBT. This system can also provide sugar products from bioconversion of lignocelluloses as well as the reference data for industrialization. Currently, Prof. MU’s group is working on the correspondingly integrated amplification study of this project.

One utility mode patent (CN202497919U) has been authorized. Four invention patents (CN101787384A, CN102191299A, 201210424816.8 and 201210424768.2) have been applied and two of them were applied internationally. Some research results were also published on Biotechnology Letters (2011, 33, 1587-1591) and Bioresource Technology (2012, 125, 193-199).

The research works have been supported by 863 Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Major Research Projects of the Key Technology in Shandong Province, Qingdao Major Research Program and the International Collaboration Project with Shell Group.

Figure 1. Pilot equipment for the pretreatment of lignocelluloses (Photograph by Prof. MU’s Group)

Figure 2. The system for the saccharification of lignocelluloses, purification and concentration (Photograph by Prof. MU’s Group)

Contact:

Prof. MU Xindong
Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tel: +86-(0)532-80662723
Email: muxd@qibebt.ac.cn