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Ethanol Innovation Turns Wood Into Sugar At Room Temperature
By Mr Ethanol | October 31, 2008
Gas2.0:
In what could be a major breakthrough for second generation ethanol production, German researchers have developed a new method that easily converts raw wood into sugar using a liquid ionic salt bath at room temperature followed by reaction with a solid acid resin.
The process works by chopping the complex raw wood molecules into smaller and simpler bits — the end product being single sugar molecules. The method can also be used on other second generation ethanol feedstocks such as grass straw. Once you’ve made the sugar, the rest of the process of making ethanol is as simple as making beer — literally.
The current conventional method of making second generation cellulosic ethanol — or, “celluline,” as I like to call it — is actually very energy intensive and uses harsh chemicals to digest the woody materials in very strong acids and/or at extremely high temperature.
This new method, developed by the research group of professor Ferdi Schüth at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, foregoes those energy intensive methods and works at room temperature.
Right now, the major stumbling block for the new method is that the materials used to make the salt bath are expensive. Read more.
Topics: Ethanol, Science, Trends |
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