GOALI: An Investigation Aimed at Correlating the Structure of Non-Wood Lignins with Their Ease of Depolymerization

Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

The Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports the research of Professor Raymond C. Francis at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Drs. Rodolfo Romero and Bertil Stromberg both at Andritz, Inc. who will direct a project to improve our understanding of the differences in lignin structures amongst monocot and dicot angiosperms with emphasis on the Poaceae family that includes wheat, corn, sugarcane, switchgrass and Miscanthus. These differences in lignin structure would be due to biochemical and other natural chemical processes during lignification. The academic partner (Francis) and industrial partners (Stromberg and Romero) have been collaborating on two different projects for more than two years. In this NSF GOALI project, it has been observed that the lignin in sugarcane bagasse (SCB) depolymerizes to monomers at surprisingly high yields under mild alkaline pulping conditions. The other project, dominated by the industrial partners, showed that lignocellulosic ethanol (LE) production is technically and economically feasible from some non-woods that are available at low costs. Indeed, Andritz is presently in the process of designing and building portions of a commercial LE plant and a large LE demonstration plant for clients. Society would benefit if more energy were to be produced from wood and other biomass (CO2- neutral sources) and by a reduction in the emissions of sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds into the environment (from crude oil processing). The proposal addresses one of the challenges associated with the production of LE that is syntheses of value-added products from the lignin by-product. It is hoped that favorable results would stimulate increased R&D in the area of LE from wood and other biomass. Development of new mechanisms, techniques and analytical tools that can be used by the entire scientific community is also likely to result from the research. The NSF funding would directly and indirectly help to educate and train undergraduate students in the critical area of renewable energy from biomass which is abundant globally.