Time: Nov. 6th, 2018, 08:00 am
Venue: 1st Floor Conference Room, No.1 Energy Building
Lecturer: Prof. Hasan Jameel, North Carolina State University
Abstract:
Biorefineries are very capital intensive and as a result they must create substantial value for an investor to risk their capital. Biosugar or bioethanol fermentation products plus power generation from the lignin-rich residue do not produce sufficient value to justify an investment. As a result, it is necessary to consider a range of higher value co-products and finds opportunities for utilization of these products. The lignin rich residue from a biorefinery can be burnt for power or sold as fuel pellets but if the can be used as a substitute for phenol or as a lignosulfonate the economics of a biorefinery can be dramatically improved.
Many uses of lignin have been reported in the literature but its uses in adhesives and foams are of high interest because of the high volumes used in commercial applications. The use of lignin as a substitute for phenol in adhesives show that up to 40% of the phenol can be substituted without any significant negative effects. Lignin from the kraft process needs to be phenolated before this high level of substitution can be achieved, however autohydrolysis lignin from a biorefinery can be used without any modifications. Kraft lignin can also be substituted in lignin based foams but its use was limited to only about 15% substitution. The conversion of the lignin residue to lignosulfonates is also attractive because of the existing markets for lignosulfonates and their higher value. A process to produce lignosulfonates in a biorefinery will be discussed.
A wide range of lignin-rich residue products – coupled with two co-products from sugar-rich fraction – shows that financial success with a Greenfield biorefinery is difficult to achieve. Autohydrolysis – Enzyme Hydrolysis – Adhesive (AER Adhesive) is a good option to improve the economic viability of a biorefinery.
Introduction:
Prof. Hasan Jameel, currently employed by North Carolina State University, obtained his Ph.D. in the field of Chemical Engineering in Princeton University (1980). He is employed as a guest professor by University of Science and Technology of China since 2013. His research mainly focus on the bioenergy and biochemicals, pulping and bleaching process modifications and process modeling and economic analysis and so on. He was awarded the Alumni Graduate Distinguished Professor in 2016, NC State Outstanding Advisor in 2006, TAPPI Johan Richter Prize Winner in 2005, etc.
Contact: ZHANG Xiaochen DNL0603
Phone: 84379798