Technology

Xylose as a co-product of biocoal production using forest residue biomass can significantly impact the overall economics of utilization of forest residue biomass as well as biocoal production.

University of Louisville (UofL) has developed a patent pending process to selectively hydrolyzate and isolate xylose from lignocellulosic biomass such as wood waste (from saw mills, forest residues, etc.), agricultural process residues (such as corn fiber, soy hulls, bagasse, etc.), and agricultural crop residues (such as corn stover, sunflower stocks, etc.). BioProducts, LLC has secured an exclusive license of these technologies from UofL.

Xylose is a low calorie alternate sugar used to produce xylitol, flavoring, and food caramel colors and is the second most abundant monosaccharide after glucose in the hydrolysates of lignocelluloses. Its current applications are in food, pharmaceutical, dental, and chewing gum. Lima, et al. demonstrated that D-xylose may help prevent or attenuate the progression of obesity-related metabolic disorders by improving lipid oxidation.

Xylose is also a sucrose inhibitor suggested to suppress development of obesity-related diseases. The ongoing work at University of Louisville (UofL) strongly projects its future application as a starting material for biofuels. Market volume for xylose was $670 million in 2013; it is expected to reach $1 billion by 2020. When used in biofuels application, its market volume is expected to grow several fold.

Xylose and other hemicellulose based (C5) sugars are identified by DOE as excellent candidates for the production of commodity chemical and chemical intermediates. UofL has been developing synthetic routes to convert the solid xylose produced using its isolation process to a high energy density fuels (bicyclopentane) and chemicals (cyclopentadiene).

· Combating Diabetes and Obesity

While white sugar can increase insulin levels in the body, xylitol, a derivative of xylose, has garnered traction as a crystalline aldose sugar that doesn’t impact the body in the same way, and is witnessing wide adoption as a sweetener for tea and coffee.

· A Natural Approach to Cavity Prevention

Increasing awareness about xylitol’s role in inhibiting the growth of plaque-forming bacteria by preventing tooth decay and oral cavities.

· Market Dynamics

The current market size is $1.5 billion and is projected to reach $2.9 billion by 2029. Analysts project a bullish outlook on the xylose market, estimating global revenue to grow at a ~ 6% CAGR through to 2029.

Lightweight and highly efficient energy storage is a key to enable the growth of portable devices such as computing, telecommunication equipment, and to promote the use of large scale systems such as electrical vehicles. The success of portable energy storage systems such as Li-ion batteries, Li-S batteries and symmetric and asymmetric super capacitors is dependent on sustainable and low cost electrode materials. Activated carbon fiber (ACF) derived from low cost renewable resources using low energy consuming processes can deliver such electrode materials. In addition, the high surface area carbons have applications in photo voltaic (PV) cells and used for hydrogen storage. Additionally, activated carbon filters out odors, pollutants, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air by trapping gas molecules and removing them efficiently from circulation. Also, activated carbon can be used to detect and adsorb radon in the air.

University of Louisville (Uof L) have developed a selective hydrolysis and isolation process for production of xylose and integrated this process with activated carbon production to produce high surface area carbons. This process has produced surface areas in the range of 1300 – 1600 m2/g.

The global activated carbon market was valued at USD 4.74 billion in 2015 and is projected to reach USD 8.12 billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2016 to 2021. The market size in terms of volume was 2,743.4 kiloton in 2015 and is projected to reach 3,587.9 kiloton, by 2021, at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2016 to 2021.

Per 2011 BETO update on Billion Ton Study, about 33 to 119 million dry tons currently, to about 35 to 129 million dry tons in 2030 of forest residues are left on the forest floors.

Forest residues include logging residues and residual stand components. Residues and residuals in the stand or at the landing are the limbs, tops, cull-bole portions, and stumps of the merchantable and un-merchantable trees. While much of this material is important for ecological needs, much more likely should be removed to reduce catastrophic wildfire.

In 2012, the U.S. Forest Service spent over $2.1 billion fighting forest fires. One cost-effective alternative is to produce BioCoal utilizing torrefaction, a relatively recent technology that “roasts” forest residues in a high-heat, low-oxygen environment, creating an energy-dense product that can more easily be shipped, stored, and used to produce a carbon-friendly and renewable alternative to coal.

This renewable coal “BioCoal” is considered carbon neutral, relatively SOx and NOx free, has low levels of ash and low expensive compared to coal. The cost of biocoal is highly dependent on the cost and composition of the forest residues. For successful replacement of coal, the biocoal cost needs to be about the cost of the coal at $50-$80 per ton. Similar to coal, the biocoal needs to be hydrophobic (for outside storage and related logistics), durable (less dust generation for handling and transportation), grindable, and high BTU.

The cost of biomass and the processing that is required to convert hydrophilic biomass to hydrophobic biocoal can add significant cost and make biocoal not cost-competitive.

University of Louisville (UofL) has developed a hemicellulose (C5) selective hydrolysis process, novel xylose isolation and separation process (two patents pending) using biomass hydrolyzates, and use of hydrolyzed biomass as a binder during densification of torrefied biomass, (one patent pending).

These technologies, when integrated with a biocoal production process can have a significant impact on the overall cost of biocoal product and the payback of a biocoal production plant.

Agritech has secured an exclusive license of these technologies from UofL.