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From Research To Commercialization: How To Do It Faster
Chemical and Environmental Technologies
Health and Life SciencesAdvanced Engineering
Systems
Life-Changing Research and Innovation
www.matricresearch.com
Dr. George KellerChief Engineer800-611-2296
George.keller@matricresearch.com
MATRIC 2
Two Basic Types of Research
Phenomenological Research: Deals mostly with fundamental research. A desire to understand at a fundamental level. Output is knowledge, papers, talks and sometimes patents, leading to promotions and/or attainment of tenure or longevity.
Mission-Oriented Research: Deals mostly with research intimately accompanied with process engineering and economics, and directed toward a well defined goal of a new product, process or other engineering outcome.
3
The Role of Process Engineering
Construct process flowsheets and models from speculative chemistry and engineering dataDetermine the economically critical points of the processes under consideration and• choose what seems to be the most
economical pathway and • focus lab work on the most critical issues
Use lab data to refine the economic model and modify experimental directions
matricresearch.com
The Role of Process Engineering
Design a pilot plant based on assessment of critical factors to be studiedContinuously update the process model based on pilot plant resultsWork with design engineering to provide a complete transfer of all relevant data and model resultsParticipate in the final design, construction and start-up stages
MATRIC 4
MATRIC 5
Example 1: A New-Generation Biodiesel Plant
MATRIC began basic lab work in March 2006The full-scale 8MM gpy plant was started up in December 2007The full-scale plant has the following characteristics– Continuous process, reducing investment by ~ 40%.– Process can accept not only refined soy oil, but also crude
soy oil, crude corn oil, fats, renderings, etc.– Process nearly completely eliminates off-site pollutants
(aqueous and air-borne)– Process is designed and constructed to exacting Dow/Union
Carbide quality standards.– Process will be licensed by BEST Energies around the
world.
Example 2: An Isosorbide Process
Process research was carried out by a large laboratory. After four years and $5M, the project was unsuccessful in achieving its goal.The project was given to MATRIC, and after six weeks, the process was developed and ultra-pure product was produced.A pilot plant (450 kg/month) was built to supply product to potential customers.
MATRIC 6
Role of Separations Discipline
Chemical separations is key the economics for the production of most materials– Will be increasingly important as feedstocks evolve toward
biomass– Will be increasingly important under new toxic substance
control regulations (e.g. REACH)Current processes that are economically limited by separations– Corn ethanol both in ethanol distillation and DDG drying– Cellulosic ethanol in pretreatment/fractionation, C5 and C6
separations (different fermentation enzymes), and distillation
– Sea-water desalination for safe water supplies world-wide
MATRIC 7
MATRIC 8
Industrialization of Cellulosic Ethanol
Five factors control the ability for cellulosic ethanol to become economically viable:– Process rate—slow process step
kinetics requires larger capital equipment costs
– Conversion efficiency—poor utilization of feed materials drives higher operating costs
– Capital equipment costs—exotic MOC, high pressure or temperature materials drive adversely impact cost of goods produced
– Operating costs—high temperatures or pressures require significant amounts of energy
– Product quality/consistency—Inconsistency increases the cost of the overall process
MATRIC 9
Cellulosic Ethanol Process
Pretreatment phase, to make the lignocellulosic material such as wood or straw amenable to hydrolysis Cellulose hydrolysis (cellulolysis), to break down the molecules into sugars Separation of the sugar solution from the residual materials, notably lignin Microbial fermentation of the sugar solution Distillation to produce 99.5% pure alcohol
Chart courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Lab and appears on the Renewable Fuels Association website.
MATRIC 10
Key Processing Cost Elements
www.everythingbiomass.org
MATRIC 11
General Pretreatment Technologies
Mosier et al., Bioresour. Technol. 2005
Pretreatment technologies are mostly used as precursor to enzymatic hydrolysis
– Acid Hydrolysis– Steam Explosion– Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX)– Alkaline Wet Oxidation– Ozone Pretreatment (Ozonolysis)
Each method has advantages and disadvantages
– No one method is best for all types of feedstock
– Optimum reaction parameters of the various pretreatments, like temperature, pressure, and reaction time, are specific to each feedstock
High yield of sugars does not always result in high conversion to ethanol
– lignocellulosic components or chemicals used in pretreatment may form compounds that inhibit fermentation
MATRIC 12
Acid Hydrolysis
Concentrated or dilute mineral acids penetrate biomass, breaking down hemicellulose into monomeric sugars, and removing part of the lignin– First cellulosic pretreatment
technology dating from Germany in 1898
– Reaction is carried out at elevated temperatures
– Sulfuric acid is most often used, because it is available at low cost
– Low moisture content is preferred, since less energy is needed to heat the biomass
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/images/photo_05208_sugar_platform.jpg
MATRIC 13
Acid Hydrolysis
Advantages– good hemicellulose sugar
yields – high cellulose digestibility
• removal of hemicellulose and lignin exposes more cellulose for enzymes to attack
– can solubilize heavy metals that may contaminate the feedstock
Disadvantages– requires downstream
neutralization– some degradation of
hemicellulose sugars• lower yield of sugars• may form compounds such
as acetic acid and furfural which inhibit bacteria or yeasts during fermentation
– equipment costs are high• reactors must be corrosion–
resistant, suitable for high temperature and pressures
MATRIC 14
Steam Explosion
Physico-chemical pretreatment in which biomass is subjected to high-pressure saturated steam, followed by rapid depressurizationExpansion of water vapor exerts force, causing mechanical breakdown of biomass – degrades hemicellulose and
lignin, thus increasing the potential of cellulose hydrolysis
– acids or bases may be incorporated into the steam to increase hydrolysis
www.biogasol.dk/2me2.htm
MATRIC 15
Steam Explosion
Advantages– economical for hardwoods– effectively hydrolyzes
hemicellulose – promotes delignification
• enlarges pore size in plant cells which is beneficial for subsequent cellulose hydrolysis
Disadvantages– increases crystallinity of
amorphous regions of cellulose, which decreases cellulose digestibility
– high equipment costs • need for high temperature
and high pressure reactors
MATRIC 16
Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX)
Physico-chemical pretreatment in which prewetted lignocellulosic material is treated with liquid anhydrous ammonia at high temperature and pressure, then pressure is rapidly released – Created and patented by Michigan State University– In contrast to most pretreatments, AFEX does not
significantly solubilize hemicellulose– Pressures exceeding 12 atm are required for operation at
ambient temperature
MATRIC 17
Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX)
Advantages– Much less sugar degradation
than acid pretreatment• inhibitor formation is very
limited– Fast reaction time (~5min)– Improves hydrolysis rates of
hemicellulose and cellulose in herbaceous crops and grasses
– Ammonia can serve as a nitrogen source for organisms downstream
– Ammonia is all volatilized and can be recovered as gas
• neutralization is not necessary
Disadvantages– High energy utilization to
achieve very high pressures– Relatively new and
undeveloped process– Not proven effective on
hardwoods or softwoods– AFEX effectiveness decreases
with increasing lignin content
MATRIC 18
Alkaline Wet Oxidation
Water, sodium carbonate, and oxygen at elevated temperature and pressure interact with biomass by breaking ester bonds – Mechanism believed to be saponification of intermolecular
ester bonds that crosslink hemicelluloses with other components
– Porosity of the material is increased due to the removal of the crosslinks, so enzymes can attack sugars more easily
MATRIC 19
Alkaline Wet Oxidation
Advantages– Readily oxidizes lignin – Significant decrease in
cellulose crystallinity• more accessible to enzymes
– Low formation of furfural, a microbial inhibitor often produced by other pretreatment methods
Disadvantages– Degradation of lignin and
hemicellulose to produce carboxylic acids
• hemicellulose sugars largely decompose, thus cannot be converted to ethanol
MATRIC 20
Ozone Pretreatment (Ozonolysis)
Ozone acts primarily by degrading lignin, via attack and cleavage of aromatic ring structuresIn one study using wheat straw, ozone pretreatment removed 60% of lignin, which increased enzymatic hydrolysis rates five-fold
Sugimoto et al., “Ozone Pretreatment for Ethanol Production Using Lignocellulose Materials,” Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
MATRIC 21
Ozone Pretreatment (Ozonolysis)
Advantages• Effective delignification • Ozone does not form any toxic
compounds that inhibit hydrolysis
• ozone can be easily decomposed to oxygen using a catalytic bed or high temperatures, thus extensive downstream processing is avoided
• Can be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure
Disadvantages• Requires large amounts of
ozone, which is expensive • Generation of carboxylic
acids from extensive lignin degradation
MATRIC 22
Cellulosic Ethanol Pretreatment Summary
None of the current pretreatment technologies described in this presentation meet the criteria for economic viabilityEach of these technologies is currently being demonstrated at scaleMATRIC is currently developing a proprietary chemical pretreatment technology that has the potential to satisfy all of the requirements outlined herein– Low capital costs– High fractionation rate– High availability of segregated sugars
23
Marks of the R&DE Organizations of the Future
World-class-talent people who can form teams, begin new projects, learn new technologies and learn business and marketing aspects of their projects, as well as the research and engineering aspects, quickly
Disciplined assessment of economics of chemical processes, such as cellulosic ethanol pretreament
Seamless integration from basic research to commercial demonstration
Multidisciplinary system approach to complex problem solving
State-of-the-art engineering and scientific equipment
Experience with conducting large and small R&D programs
Effective leveraging and networking with industry, academe and government labs
Summary
Industry strongly favors mission-oriented RD&E, and there is much to learn about it by most companiesThe type of agile, entrepreneurial RD&E organization described herein may be difficult to establish in highly organized, hierarchical companiesNew forms of RD&E organizations will grow up, and some will become major suppliers to industryOrganizations that create technology that support economically viable chemical processes will be greatly advantaged in the marketplace– Cellulosic pretreatment is one example of a field requiring
economical innovation
MATRIC 24
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