The overall goal of this phase i sbir program is to evaluate, optimize, and economically scale novel technology to convert a lignocellulose waste stream into a value-added intermediate chemical,…

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarded $175,000 under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program to KSE, Inc. of Sunderland, Massachusetts.

The award will support KSE's efforts to develop and scale an integrated process for converting lignocellulosic waste streams into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) at high selectivity without pre-treatment of biomass compounds. Key activities include improving reactive distillation and catalytic conversion of pentose sugars to furfural, optimizing a continuous oxidation process to produce furoic acid from furfural, evaluating alternative catalyst combinations to maximize FDCA yield economically, implementing a closed-loop catalyst regeneration system, and developing an economic model.

FDCA can replace petroleum-based acids widely used in textiles, polyesters and plastics industries. The technology aims to utilize a hydrolyzate waste stream from pulp and paper processing. If successful, the process could provide environmental and economic benefits by producing a high-value chemical from renewable resources and waste streams to substitute endocrine-disrupting phthalate plastics.

The overall goal of this phase i sbir program is to evaluate, optimize, and economically scale novel technology to convert a lignocellulose waste stream into a value-added intermediate chemical, specifically 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (fdca), at high selectivity and without pre-purification of the biomass compounds. Fdca is targeted to replace petroleum-based acids used extensively in the textiles, polyesters, and plastics industries. The global market as a drop-in replacement for terephthalic acid (PTA) is estimated at 79M metric tons in 2020 with a cagr of 3.3%.common sources of lignocellulose include renewable, woody substrates, agri-residues, dedicated energy crops, and municipal solid wastes. One identified feedstock, from forest related resources, being a hydrolysate stream from pulp & paper processing.project tasks include improving reactive distillation & catalytic conversion of pentose carbohydrates to furfural, converting batch scale to continuous oxidation of furfural to furoic acid, review alternative alkali metal catalyst combinations to economically maximize fdca yield, implement a closed-loop catalyst regeneration process to control costs, and develop an economic model based on the r & d program to demonstrate overall economic value proposition. A subsequent phase II program would further enhance, optimize and scale up these technologies to develop an integrated and highy intensified process targeting a pulp mill hydrolysate waste stream for production of a value-added fdca product.societal benefits of utilizing fdca from this novel process include health improvements associated with replacing endocrine disrupting phthalate-based plastics, improved barrier/thermo-mechanical properties of consumer plastics, originating from renewable resources, with process technology demonstrating a more sustainable carbon footprint.