Role of Value Added Biobased Materials in Sustainable Biorefining

In the emerging bioeconomy era, the biorefining concept has been looked-upon seriously in moving towards sustainable growth of the biofuel industries. The byproducts as well as co-products from biomass-based biofuel industries have limited uses and are mostly considered as under-valued products. The value-added uses of these downstream products from biofuel as well as bioenergy industries in biochemicals and biomaterials sectors are considered as “advanced biorefining” for sustainable development. The corn ethanol industries produce ethanol, as well as the co-products Distillers’ Dried grains with Solubles (DDGS) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) all in 1:1:1 quantum ratio. The DDGS is currently being used as animal feed supplements where as carbon dioxide has found very limited industrial uses. Recent research has found successful uses of CO₂ in developing biodegradable plastics and DDGS can find uses in emerging biocomposites. The second generation of lingo-cellulosic ethanol industries usually produce ethanol and the co-product lignin in 1:1 ratio. Currently lignin has limited industrial uses. Lignin in many instances is burnt for energy purposes and the energy value of lignin is quite insignificant in comparison to its potential high-value uses in biochemicals and biofuels. In biodiesel industries (both food and non-food resourced) glycerol is a byproduct that has limited uses and is mostly discarded. Crude glycerol can find uses in biochemicals and bioplastics synthesis. In the thermo-chemical conversion process of biomass, bio-oil and biochars are being produced. Researchers across the globe are investigating to find a range of value-added biochemicals from bio-oil. The biochar is mostly being used as soil-nutrients. More value-added uses of biochar are being investigated for biobased materials with a concept of renewable carbon content of the bio-char. This presentation with summarize the recent development on potential value-added uses of co-products and byproducts from biofuel/bioenergy industries especially in manufacturing sectors. The discussion will also highlight, how such innovation can help in the sustainable growth of both the biomass and manufacturing sectors.

Acknowledgements: This research is financially supported by  the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI), Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence Round 4 program;  the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) and Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA) - New Direction research program; OMAF & MRA - U of G Research program; the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Canada AUTO21 NCE program; and NSERC- Biomaterials & Chemicals Strategic Network program.