BIOMASS CONVERSION

From Feedstocks to
Final Products
To efficiently convert algae,
diverse types of cellulosic
biomass, and emerging feedstocks
into renewable fuels, the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE)
supports research, development,
and demonstration of technologies.
This research will help ensure
that these renewable fuels are
compatible with today’s vehicles
and infrastructure.

Advanced biofuels are part of the

United States’ “all-of-the-above”
energy strategy to develop domestic
energy resources and win the global
race for clean energy technology. De-
veloping a sustainable, commercial-
scale U.S. bioindustry will stimulate
the economy, create new jobs, and
substantially decrease net greenhouse
gas emissions on a life-cycle basis.

Traditionally, DOE Bioenergy Tech-

nologies Office (BETO) has funded
research on processes in both thermo-
chemical (typically involving bio-oil
or gaseous intermediates) and bio-
chemical (typically involving sugar or
lignin intermediates) conversion. To
reflect the growing diversity of tech-
nologies, however, BETO has moved
away from classifying pathways as
strictly one or the other.

Instead, research and development

focuses on two main areas: (1) de-
construction and fractionation and
(2) synthesis and upgrading, which
Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility (IBRF) includes horizontal tube pretreatment
may contain elements of both thermo- reactor systems (upper level) and high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis reactors (main level).
chemical and biochemical conversion Photo courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory / Dennis Schroeder.
processes.

BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE

BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE

Feedstock Intermediates Products

• Agricultural Deconstruction • Sugars Synthesis & • Fuels
Residues & Fractionation Upgrading
• Intermediate • Chemicals
• Energy Crops Chemical • Power
• Forest Resources Building Blocks

• Organic Waste • Bio-Oils

• Algae • Gaseous
Mixtures

Analysis & Sustainability, Integration & Intensification, Enabling Technologies

Generalized conversion route for biomass-derived feedstocks to renewable products

Source: Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Year Program Plan, March 2016

Feedstocks Despite these advantages to using High-Temperature

BETO researches a variety of feed- diverse feedstocks, researchers recog- Deconstruction
stocks, including cellulosic biomass nize that conversion technologies and High-temperature deconstruction
(the fibrous and inedible portions of supporting processes are sensitive to encompasses pyrolysis, hydrothermal
plants), algae, wet waste, and biogas. variations in feedstock characteristics liquefaction, and gasification.
The use of a specific feedstock or (e.g., moisture content, contaminants,
feedstock blend will depend on the etc.). BETO works with industry and Pyrolysis is the thermal and chemical
conversion process. Feedstocks for other partners to explore ways to decomposition of feedstock without
pretreat and blend various types of the introduction of oxygen to produce
primarily biochemical processes are
biomass into uniform formats with a bio-oil intermediate. The bio-oil
selected for optimum composition,
consistent properties. The aim is to produced contains hydrocarbons of
quality, and size and may include
create commodities with predictable various lengths but contains more
agricultural residues, woody residues,
properties that meet established crite- oxygenated compounds than petro-
grasses, or blends of these three.
Feedstock handling systems tailored ria for efficient conversion. leum crude oils and must undergo up-
grading before it can be finished into
to biochemical processing are es-
Deconstruction and a fuel or used in a refinery. BETO
sential to cost-effective, high-yield
operations. Fractionation currently funds research on both fast
pyrolysis and catalytic (both in situ
To convert biomass into a biofuel,
The elevated temperatures of ther- and ex situ) fast pyrolysis.
biomass must first be deconstructed
mochemical deconstruction (300°C into its component chemicals. One Hydrothermal Liquefaction is a
to 1,000°C) expand the range of can generally differentiate between deconstruction process that utilizes a
biomass feedstocks that can be used deconstruction processes by the wet feedstock slurry under elevated
by the bioindustry. The ability to use temperature at which they take place. temperature and pressure to produce
a broad range of feedstocks helps to A variety of intermediates can be a hydrothermal liquefaction bio-oil.
ensure an adequate biomass supply formed depending on the conditions The feedstock is treated with water
across seasons and spreads the eco- used in this process. before entering the reactor and is
nomic and energy security benefits
particularly applicable to algal feed-
across regions.
stocks. Nonwater solvents may also
be used.

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BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE

Gasification is the thermal decon- Low-temperature deconstruction is Synthesis and Upgrading

struction of biomass at high tempera- the breakdown of feedstock into in- Intermediates produced following
ture (typically >700°C) in the pres- termediates by pretreatment followed deconstruction can include crude
ence of substoichiometric air or an by hydrolysis. bio-oils, sugars, gaseous mixtures,
oxygen carrier and sometimes steam, and other chemical building blocks.
followed by gas cleanup and condi- Pretreatment is the preparation of
feedstock for hydrolysis via chemical These intermediates are upgraded
tioning. using various techniques to produce a
or mechanical processing and sepa-
finished product.
Low-Temperature ration of feedstock into soluble and
Deconstruction insoluble components. This process Actual upgrading and separations
Biochemical conversion uses biocata- opens up the physical structure of processes will vary greatly accord-
lysts, such as enzymes, in addition to plant and algae cell walls, revealing ing to the identity of the intermediate
heat and other chemicals, to convert sugar polymers and other compo- streams. Streams with tight chemical
the carbohydrate portion of the bio- nents. distributions may require less com-
mass (hemicellulose and cellulose) plex processes than streams involving
Hydrolysis is the breakdown of these
into an intermediate sugar stream.
polymers either enzymatically or more varied compounds. Chemical
These sugars are intermediate build-
chemically into other molecules suit- rearrangement into the final fuel
ing blocks that can then be fermented blendstock or product can involve
able for use as fuels or building-block
or chemically catalyzed into a range biological or chemical processing.
chemicals.
of advanced biofuels and value-added
chemicals.

Deconstruction Synthesis &

& Fractionation Upgrading

Hydrolysis Intermediate
Upgrading

Pretreatment Pyrolysis Biological

Feedstock Fuel and
Supply & Processing Product
Fuel/Product
Logistics Distriubution,
Finishing
(including Infrastructure,
Gasification Catalytic
algae) Preprocessing and End Use
Processing and
Stabilization

Hydrothermal Intermediate
Liquefaction Processing
at Petroleum
Refineries

Separations , Integration, and Enabling Technologies

Conversion pathways from feedstock to products

Source: Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Year Program Plan, March 2016

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BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE

Microorganisms can ferment sugar For successful integration, the bio- Synthetic Biology: Engineering biol-
or gaseous intermediates into mass feed streams must be able to ogy offers the potential to dramati-
fuel blendstocks and chemicals. meet rigorous criteria. More spe- cally reduce the lead time and cost
Alternatively, sugars and other cifically, they will need to be low in of bringing new renewable fuels and
intermediate streams such as bio-oil oxygen, blend well with petroleum, chemicals to market. Researchers are
and synthetic gas may be processed and be free of contaminants that using sophisticated metabolic engi-
catalytically to minimize the effect could poison the refinery catalysts or neering techniques to develop micro-
of reactive compounds to improve degrade the product. organisms that can more effectively
storage and handling properties. ferment the variety of sugars derived
Future Directions from biomass. Scientists in the public
The finished products from upgrad- and private sectors are working to
ing may be fuels or bioproducts ready Bioproducts: There are many technol-
ogy pathways that could be used to develop designer strains for specific
to sell into the commercial market or feedstocks and processes and to vali-
stabilized intermediates suitable for produce hydrocarbon biofuels, but
many of them would require the co- date the performance of these strains
finishing in a petroleum refinery or in improving production economics.
chemical manufacturing plant. production of value-added chemicals
and products to produce cost-compet- Development of chassis organisms
itive fuels in the near term. on which advanced metabolic engi-
Integration in Traditional neering can be performed will lead to
Refineries For instance, the National Renewable rapid increases in the rate, titer, and
Successfully integrating biomass Energy Laboratory has demonstrated yield of high-impact products.
product streams for further process- that for an enzymatic hydrolysis fol-
ing in traditional petroleum refiner- lowed by biologically upgrading the Advanced Materials: Additional re-
ies would provide refineries with a conversion pathway (the conversion search into high throughput screening
secure, domestic feedstock. Research- pathway that was highly successful of catalysts, advanced computational
ers are investigating compatibility for producing cellulosic ethanol), tools, and characterization approaches
criteria for crude bio-oils, biofuel in- the sale of lignin-derived coproducts to accelerate the discovery and devel-
termediates, and finished hydrocarbon (such as adipic acid) will be neces- opment of new types of catalysts for
biofuels at various insertion points. sary to achieve a minimum fuel conversion processes will help lead
The goal is to produce biomass-based selling price of $3/gasoline gallon to the production of cost-competitive
feeds that are identical (at the mo- equivalent for a gasoline and diesel biofuels.
lecular level) to products now found blendstock.
in the traditional petroleum-refining
product chain.

For more information, visit:

bioenergy.energy.gov

DOE/EE-1436 • June 2016

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