Producing Biofuels from Woody Plants With No Waste

Thursday, July 08 2010

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a more efficient technique for producing biofuels from woody plants that significantly reduces the waste that results from conventional biofuel production techniques.

“The technique could open the door to making lignin-rich plant matter a commercially viable feedstock for biofuels, curtailing biofuel’s reliance on staple food crops,” says Dr. Ratna Sharma-Shivappa, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering.

Traditionally, to make ethanol, butanol, or other biofuels, producers have used corn, beets, or other plant matter that is high in starches or simple sugars. However, these crops are also significant staple foods.

Other forms of biomass – such as switchgrass or inedible corn stalks – can also be used to make biofuels, but they pose their own problem. Their energy potential is locked away inside the plant’s lignin – the woody, protective material that provides each plant’s structural support. Breaking down that lignin to reach the plant’s component carbohydrates is an essential first step toward making biofuels.