Performing Department
Paper & Bioprocess Engineering
Non Technical Summary
This proposed project focuses on developing a technology for recovering xylose andxylo-oligosaccharides from woody biomass such as woodchips, wood shavings, biomasswillow cuttings, and grass. Woody biomass is mainly composed of carbohydrates(dehydration polymers of six and five carbon sugars) and aromatic polymers (or lignin).Carbohydrates can be depolymerized through enzymatic or acid hydrolysis to producesugars. Sugars, especially glucose, are preferred substrate for micro-organisms such asEscherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia stipitis, Burkholderia cepacia, etc. forthe production of ethanol and other bioproducts. Sugars are also important as food additives.However, Xylose is a less desirable sugar for production of ethanol and other bioproducts asits fermentation efficiency is lower than glucose. While xylose is sweet, nearly comparable toglucose, and GRAS (classified as General Recognized As Safe by FDA), it is indigestible byhumans. Therefore, there is a dietary value for xylose to enter the specialty food I foodadditive chain.In the forests of New York State, sugar maple tree is a dominant species. Sugar maplewood contains 15.4% Xylan or polymers of xylose, which is the second of the only twodominant sugars in sugar maple wood. The first one is glucose, with its polymer consists of40.8% of the sugar maple wood. Therefore, developing a high value industry for xylose holdsthe key for the success of a future bi ore finery that utilizes the New York's hardwood.Fast growth willow biomass has been favored in New York State for its high biomassproduction and low maintenance requirements as a biomass crop. In fast rotation willowwoody biomass, there are 24% of pentosans or xylose. Therefore, high value utilization ofthe fast-growing woody biomass dictates high value use ofxylose.Hot-water extraction is an effective methodology to separate the bulk of thehemicellulose (xylan) from woody biomass. Hot-water wood extract can be hydrolyzed toproduce a xylose-rich wood extract hydrolysate. Xylose and/or xylo-oligosaccharides can bepurified from the wood extract hydrolysates, paving way for the high-value utilization of thewoody biomass. Presently, as a sugar and chemcial, xylose is at least five-times morevaluable than glucose, making it far more valuable than the fermentation products of sugars.The objectives of the proposed research project are: 1) to develop an efficienttechnology to separate xylose from hot-water wood extract hydrolysates; 2) to examinemembrane separation technology as a means of purifying xylose from wood extracthydrolysates; 3) to examine chromatographic column as a means of purifying xylose fromwood extract hydrolysates; 4) to examine chromatographic column as a means to separatexylo-oligosaccharides from hot-water wood extracts; 5) to examine the commercialfeasibility of xylose and xylo-oligosaccharides from hot-water woody biomass extracts.Awarded Start Date: 12/31/11Sponsor: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The objectives of the proposed research project are: 1) to develop an efficienttechnology to separate xylose from hot-water wood extract hydrolysates; 2) to examinemembrane separation technology as a means of purifying xylose from wood extracthydrolysates; 3) to examine chromatographic column as a means of purifying xylose fromwood extract hydrolysates; 4) to examine chromatographic column as a means to separatexylo-oligosaccharides from hot-water wood extracts; 5) to examine the commercialfeasibility of xylose and xylo-oligosaccharides from hot-water woody biomass extracts.
Project Methods
Hot-water extraction of hardwoods has been developed at SUNY ESF (S. Liu. 2010"Woody Biomass: Niche Position as a Source of Sustainable Renewable Chemicals andEnergy and Kinetics of Hot-Water Extraction I Hydrolysis" J. Biotech. Adv., 28: 563-582).Works have been conducted on the extraction of willow biomass and agricultural residualwoody biomass. Hydrolysis of wood extracts has also been conducted at SUNY ESF (R. Hu,L. Lin, T. Liu, S. Liu, 2010 "Dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis of sugar maple wood extract atatmospheric pressure", Bioresource Technology, 101(10): 3586-3594.). However, separationof individual sugars has not been examined.In this proposed research, the hot-water extraction together with hydrolysis of theextracts of woody biomass will be investigated alongside with the separation of the valuablechemical I sugar: xylose. Xylose is an abundant sugar that can be derived from the hardwoodof New York's forest, willow biomass, and agricultural residuals. Separation of the sugarfrom the extracts via membrane technique, chromatography method, and special ionexchangeresin packed beds will be examined. We have experience already in membraneseparation of non-sugar components from the hot-water extract hydrolisates of woodybiomass at SUNY ESF (Liu, S., T.E. Amidon and C.D. Wood, 2008 "Membrane Filtration:Concentration and Purification of Hydrolyzates from Biomass'', J Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, 2(2): 121-134.). This proposed research is an extension to what we have done inthe past."Creating" a high value product from biorefinery or woody biomass conversionprocess increases the potential of success for "creating" a new woody biomass industry.While the present price structure strongly discourages the use of woody biomass as rawmaterial for liquid fuel I chemical, high value chemical increases the potential for starting upsuch operations at an early time.