(271d) Identifying Co-Products from Guar and Guayule Processing Residues

Guayule is a woody shrub native to the southwestern US that produces rubber in its stems. In the production of guayule hard rubber for tires, two residue streams are produced: a complex resin liquid and a ground, dry woody bagasse. Guar is a bean plant that grows well in semi-arid regions and produces a polysaccharide in the endosperm of its seeds. This polysaccharide is processed into gum products for hydraulic fracking and food applications. Residues from guar gum production include a meal that is used as an animal feed and the non-seed parts of the plants. Identifying higher-value products and applications for these residues the goal of the Logistics thrust of the Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) USDA-funded Biofuels and Bioproducts Challenge Area Coordinated Agricultural Project. Early work on this project has focused on characterization of the residue materials and the potential to use those materials to produce renewable fuels and chemicals.