Distributed Processing Series: Taking Advantage of Feedstocks | AIChE

Distributed Processing Series: Taking Advantage of Feedstocks

Successful conversion of biomass resources to higher value fuels and chemicals requires an economic and reliable supply of biomass that meets biorefining quality standards. The challenges associated with the natural variability found in most raw biomass resources has resulted in reduced product yields and interruptions in continuous operations at the biorefinery. The current approach of bulk homogenization of these raw feedstocks tends to skew the material quality and performance to the least favorable component. To meet the necessary economic and performance requirements, advanced feedstock supply systems need to be developed that can deliver conversion-ready feedstocks.

A thorough understanding of the variability inherent to raw biomass feedstocks has the potential to yield opportunities for quality and performance improvement through advanced preprocessing technologies. Supply system designs that incorporate all preprocessing, blending, fractionation, sorting, leaching, drying, and other processing operations necessary to transition raw biomass to a feedstock for conversion allows greater opportunities to manage supply risks. One example of managing biomass variability and inherent differential tissue properties is to use separations to remove tissue-specific process contaminants. Drs. Lacey, Wahlen, and Klinger will be discussing the advanced feedstock supply system capabilities of the INL’s Biomass Feedstock National User Facility and examples of research advances in feedstock fractionation technologies and feedstock conditioning.

This webinar is part of the ongoing Education & Workforce Development efforts of the RAPID Manufacturing Institute. Live webinars are free to RAPID Members and available to AIChE Members through the use of member credits. 


Webinar content is available with the kind permission of the author(s) solely for the purpose of furthering AIChE’s mission to educate, inform and improve the practice of professional chemical engineering. All other uses are forbidden without the express consent of the author(s). For permission to re-use, please contact chemepermissions@aiche.org.

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  • Source:
    RAPID - RAPID Manufacturing Institute for Process Intensification
  • Language:
    English
  • Skill Level:
    Basic
  • Duration:
    1 hour
  • PDHs:
    1.00