The conversion of lignocellulose into renewable chemicals by heterogeneous catalysis: this is the intriguing field of research carried out by professor Atsushi Fukuoka and his group, director of the Catalysis Research Center of Hokkaido University in Japan. In 2005, he and his colleagues reached one of the most important breakthroughs in the field so far, but he would like to add some more. On 29 September Fukuoka spoke at the CatchBio Open symposium.
“With enzymatic conversion it was already possible to get a sweetener out of cellulose. That was a mild, highly selective but also time-consuming process. Heterogeneous catalysis under high temperatures is fast, but not very selective. In our research we designed a process to combine both: high temperature and speed of conversion with high selectivity. We found it in hydrogenolysis. This process with cellulose powder, water, a metal catalyst and hydrogen as ingredients led to a promising yield of sweetener in the laboratory.”
Almost up and running
Fukuoka: “Our lab scale batch process proved to be highly selective. Industry was very interested and willing to support us, but of course it needs an industrial process. So we had covered the basic area of catalyst design, but therefore we needed the expertise of reactor engineers. Surprisingly, with this expertise added, the newly developed process scored even better on yield and selectivity.”
This breakthrough was in fact so significant, that practical application of the process is now within reach. Fukuoka expects the process to be up and running on an industrial scale in a couple of years.
The first aim is to get biomass converted into intermediates, so-called 'platform' chemicals. Fukuoka: “The ultimate goal however is more ambitious: to produce high value specialty chemicals out of biomass. We don't want to imitate existing products from the petrochemical industry, but to design new chemicals on the basis of biomass. Special characteristics in the raw material should be seen as an opportunity to create end products with more attractive properties than existing products. We want to make new compounds like for instance high-temperature resistant polymers for under-the-hood applications in the automotive industry. This will probably take a couple of decades, but we will get there.”
Very impressive
Fukuoka didn't stop at studying cellulose; he also carries out research into specific streams. One example is beet pulp, a by-product of the regional Hokkaido sugar industry, with a remarkably high percentage of 36.4% of hemicellulose. Here conversion to another sweetener is the aim. Silver grass, a local plant with a high yield per hectare, is another subject of study. Fukuoka: “After pretreatment in hot water and subsequent drying, it can generate 15% of sweetener over a Pt/C catalyst.” In his own research he experiences the importance of collaboration between academic disciplines as well as collaboration with industry. “This co-operation can create a synergetic effect”, Fukuoka remarks. He calls the close collaboration he witnesses in the CatchBio programme very impressive. “In itself, the programme shows the significance of the exciting new possibilities that emerge for industry.”
Fukuoka didn't stop at studying cellulose; he also carries out research into specific streams. One example is beet pulp, a by-product of the regional Hokkaido sugar industry, with a remarkably high percentage of 36.4% of hemicellulose. Here conversion to another sweetener is the aim. Silver grass, a local plant with a high yield per hectare, is another subject of study. Fukuoka: “After pretreatment in hot water and subsequent drying, it can generate 15% of sweetener over a Pt/C catalyst.” In his own research he experiences the importance of collaboration between academic disciplines as well as collaboration with industry. “This co-operation can create a synergetic effect”, Fukuoka remarks. He calls the close collaboration he witnesses in the CatchBio programme very impressive. “In itself, the programme shows the significance of the exciting new possibilities that emerge for industry.”