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Shapiro AJ, O'Dea RM, Li SC, Ajah JC, Bass GF, Epps TH. Engineering Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities for Lignocellulosic Biorefineries: Leveraging Biobased Polymer Production. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2023; 14:109-140. [PMID: 37040783 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-101121-084152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Alternative polymer feedstocks are highly desirable to address environmental, social, and security concerns associated with petrochemical-based materials. Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has emerged as one critical feedstock in this regard because it is an abundant and ubiquitous renewable resource. LCB can be deconstructed to generate valuable fuels, chemicals, and small molecules/oligomers that are amenable to modification and polymerization. However, the diversity of LCB complicates the evaluation of biorefinery concepts in areas including process scale-up, production outputs, plant economics, and life-cycle management. We discuss aspects of current LCB biorefinery research with a focus on the major process stages, including feedstock selection, fractionation/deconstruction, and characterization, along with product purification, functionalization, and polymerization to manufacture valuable macromolecular materials. We highlight opportunities to valorize underutilized and complex feedstocks, leverage advanced characterization techniques to predict and manage biorefinery outputs, and increase the fraction of biomass converted into valuable products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J Shapiro
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Robert M O'Dea
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Sonia C Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Jamael C Ajah
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Garrett F Bass
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Thomas H Epps
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; , , , , ,
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for Research in Soft Matter and Polymers (CRiSP), University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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2
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Dees J, Oke K, Goldstein H, McCoy ST, Sanchez DL, Simon AJ, Li W. Cost and Life Cycle Emissions of Ethanol Produced with an Oxyfuel Boiler and Carbon Capture and Storage. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5391-5403. [PMID: 36943504 PMCID: PMC10077580 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Decarbonization of transportation fuels represents one of the most vexing challenges for climate change mitigation. Biofuels derived from corn starch have offered modest life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions over fossil fuels. Here we show that capture and storage of CO2 emissions from corn ethanol fermentation achieves ∼58% reduction in the GHG intensity (CI) of ethanol at a levelized cost of 52 $/tCO2e abated. The integration of an oxyfuel boiler enables further CO2 capture at modest cost. This system yields a 75% reduction in CI to 15 gCO2e/MJ at a minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) of $2.24/gallon ($0.59/L), a $0.31/gallon ($0.08/L) increase relative to the baseline no intervention case. The levelized cost of carbon abatement is 84 $/tCO2e. Sensitivity analysis reveals that carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative ethanol can be achieved when oxyfuel carbon capture is stacked with low-CI alternatives to grid power and fossil natural gas. Conservatively, fermentation and oxyfuel CCS can reduce the CI of conventional ethanol by a net 44-50 gCO2/MJ. Full implementation of interventions explored in the sensitivity analysis would reduce CI by net 79-85 gCO2/MJ. Integrated oxyfuel and fermentation CCS is shown to be cost-effective under existing U.S. policy, offering near-term abatement opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Dees
- Energy
and Resources Group, University of California,
Berkeley, 345 Giannini Hall, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Kafayat Oke
- Department
of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University
of Calgary, 750 Campus Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4H9, Canada
| | - Hannah Goldstein
- Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Sean T. McCoy
- Department
of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University
of Calgary, 750 Campus Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4H9, Canada
| | - Daniel L. Sanchez
- Environmental
Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM), University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - A. J. Simon
- Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Wenqin Li
- Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
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3
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Winter B, Meys R, Sternberg A, Bardow A. Sugar-to-What? An Environmental Merit Order Curve for Biobased Chemicals and Plastics. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2022; 10:15648-15659. [PMID: 36507094 PMCID: PMC9727924 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c03275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The chemical industry aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by adopting biomass as a renewable carbon feedstock. However, biomass is a limited resource. Thus, biomass should preferentially be used in processes that most reduce GHG emissions. However, a lack of harmonization in current life cycle assessment (LCA) literature makes the identification of efficient processes difficult. In this study, 46 fermentation processes from literature are harmonized and analyzed on the basis of their GHG reduction compared with fossil benchmarks. The GHG reduction per amount of sugar used is defined as Sugar-to-X efficiency and used as a performance metric in the following. The analyzed processes span a wide range of Sugar-to-X efficiencies from -3.3 to 6.7 kg of CO2 equiv per kg of sugar input. Diverting sugar from bioethanol production for fuels to the fermentation and bioconversion processes with the highest Sugar-to-X efficiency could reduce the chemical industry's GHG emissions by an additional 130 MT of CO2 equiv without requiring any more biobased feedstocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Winter
- Institute
for Technical Thermodynamics, RWTH Aachen
University, Schinkelstr. 8, 52062Aachen, Germany
- Energy
and Process System Engineering, ETH Zürich, Tannenstrasse 3, 8092Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Raoul Meys
- Institute
for Technical Thermodynamics, RWTH Aachen
University, Schinkelstr. 8, 52062Aachen, Germany
| | - André Sternberg
- Fraunhofer
Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstraße 2, 79110Freiburg, Germany
| | - André Bardow
- Institute
for Technical Thermodynamics, RWTH Aachen
University, Schinkelstr. 8, 52062Aachen, Germany
- Institute
of Energy and Climate Research - Energy Systems Engineering (IEK-10), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428Jülich, Germany
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4
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Frosi M, Tripodi A, Conte F, Ramis G, Mahinpey N, Rossetti I. Ethylene from renewable ethanol: Process optimization and economic feasibility assessment. J IND ENG CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2021.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Oliveira MM, Proenca AM, Moreira-Silva E, Dos Santos FM, Marconatto L, de Castro AM, Medina-Silva R. Biochemical features and early adhesion of marine Candida parapsilosis strains on high-density polyethylene. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:1954-1966. [PMID: 34787949 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Plastic debris are constantly released into oceans where, due to weathering processes, they suffer fragmentation into micro- and nanoplastics. Diverse microbes often colonize these persisting fragments, contributing to their degradation. However, there are scarce reports regarding the biofilm formation of eukaryotic decomposing microorganisms on plastics. Here, we evaluated five yeast isolates from deep-sea sediment for catabolic properties and early adhesion ability on high-density polyethylene (HDPE). METHODS AND RESULTS We assessed yeast catabolic features and adhesion ability on HDPE fragments subjected to abiotic weathering. Adhered cells were evaluated through Crystal Violet Assay, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy and Infrared Spectroscopy. Isolates were identified as Candida parapsilosis and exhibited wide catabolic capacity. Two isolates showed high adhesion ability on HDPE, consistently higher than the reference C. parapsilosis strain, despite an increase in fragment roughness due to weathering. Isolate Y5 displayed the most efficient colonization, with production of polysaccharides and lipids after 48 h of incubation. CONCLUSION This work provides insights on catabolic metabolism and initial yeast-HDPE interactions of marine C. parapsilosis strains. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Our findings represent an essential contribution to the characterization of early interactions between deep-sea undescribed yeast strains and plastic pollutants found in oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiara Monteiro Oliveira
- Geobiology Laboratory, Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Immunology and Microbiology Laboratory, School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Audrey Menegaz Proenca
- Geobiology Laboratory, Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Immunology and Microbiology Laboratory, School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Moreira-Silva
- Immunology and Microbiology Laboratory, School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Francine Melise Dos Santos
- Geobiology Laboratory, Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Letícia Marconatto
- Geobiology Laboratory, Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Aline Machado de Castro
- Biotechnology Division, Research and Development Center (CENPES), PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Renata Medina-Silva
- Geobiology Laboratory, Institute of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Immunology and Microbiology Laboratory, School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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6
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Capture and Reuse of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) for a Plastics Circular Economy: A Review. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9050759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plastic production has been increasing at enormous rates. Particularly, the socioenvironmental problems resulting from the linear economy model have been widely discussed, especially regarding plastic pieces intended for single use and disposed improperly in the environment. Nonetheless, greenhouse gas emissions caused by inappropriate disposal or recycling and by the many production stages have not been discussed thoroughly. Regarding the manufacturing processes, carbon dioxide is produced mainly through heating of process streams and intrinsic chemical transformations, explaining why first-generation petrochemical industries are among the top five most greenhouse gas (GHG)-polluting businesses. Consequently, the plastics market must pursue full integration with the circular economy approach, promoting the simultaneous recycling of plastic wastes and sequestration and reuse of CO2 through carbon capture and utilization (CCU) strategies, which can be employed for the manufacture of olefins (among other process streams) and reduction of fossil-fuel demands and environmental impacts. Considering the previous remarks, the present manuscript’s purpose is to provide a review regarding CO2 emissions, capture, and utilization in the plastics industry. A detailed bibliometric review of both the scientific and the patent literature available is presented, including the description of key players and critical discussions and suggestions about the main technologies. As shown throughout the text, the number of documents has grown steadily, illustrating the increasing importance of CCU strategies in the field of plastics manufacture.
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7
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Abstract
The long-term substitution of fossil resources can only be achieved through a bio-based economy, with biorefineries and bio-based products playing a major role. However, it is important to assess the implications of the transition to a bio-based economy. Life cycle-based sustainability assessment is probably the most suitable approach to quantify impacts and to identify trade-offs at multiple levels. The extended utilisation of biomass can cause land use change and affect food security of the most vulnerable people throughout the world. Although this is mainly a political issue and governments should be responsible, the responsibility is shifted to companies producing biofuels and other bio-based products. Organic wastes and lignocellulosic biomass are considered to be the preferred feedstock for the production of bio-based products. However, it is unlikely that a bio-based economy can rely only on organic wastes and lignocellulosic biomass.It is crucial to identify potential problems related to socio-economic and environmental issues. Currently there are many approaches to the sustainability of bio-based products, both quantitative and qualitative. However, results of different calculation methods are not necessarily comparable and can cause confusion among decision-makers, stakeholders and the public.Hence, a harmonised, globally agreed approach would be the best solution to secure sustainable biomass/biofuels/bio-based chemicals production and trade, and to avoid indirect effects (e.g. indirect land use change). However, there is still a long way to go.Generally, the selection of suitable indicators that serve the purpose of sustainability assessment is very context-specific. Therefore, it is recommended to use a flexible and modular approach that can be adapted to various purposes. A conceptual model for the selection of sustainability indicators is provided that facilitates identifying suitable sustainability indicators based on relevance and significance in a given context.
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Venkatesh A, Posen ID, MacLean HL, Chu PL, Griffin WM, Saville BA. Environmental Aspects of Biotechnology. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 173:77-119. [PMID: 31396652 DOI: 10.1007/10_2019_98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
A key motivation behind the development and adoption of industrial biotechnology is the reduction of negative environmental impacts. However, accurately assessing these impacts remains a formidable task. Environmental impacts of industrial biotechnology may be significant across a number of categories that include, but may not be limited to, nonrenewable resource depletion, water withdrawals and consumption, climate change, and natural land transformation/occupation. In this chapter, we highlight some key environmental issues across two broad areas: (a) processes that use biobased feedstocks and (b) industrial activity that is supported by biological processes. We also address further issues in accounting for related environmental impacts such as geographic and temporal scope, co-product management, and uncertainty and variability in impacts. Case studies relating to (a) lignocellulosic ethanol, (b) biobased plastics, and (c) enzyme use in the detergent industry are then presented, which illustrate more specific applications. Finally, emerging trends in the area of environmental impacts of biotechnology are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - I Daniel Posen
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Heather L MacLean
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Pei Lin Chu
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - W Michael Griffin
- Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bradley A Saville
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Zhang X, Fevre M, Jones GO, Waymouth RM. Catalysis as an Enabling Science for Sustainable Polymers. Chem Rev 2017; 118:839-885. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 472] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Zhang
- Department
of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5080, United States
| | - Mareva Fevre
- IBM Research−Almaden, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120, United States
| | - Gavin O. Jones
- IBM Research−Almaden, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120, United States
| | - Robert M. Waymouth
- Department
of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5080, United States
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10
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Chubukov V, Mukhopadhyay A, Petzold CJ, Keasling JD, Martín HG. Synthetic and systems biology for microbial production of commodity chemicals. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2016; 2:16009. [PMID: 28725470 PMCID: PMC5516863 DOI: 10.1038/npjsba.2016.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of synthetic and systems biology is a powerful framework to study fundamental questions in biology and produce chemicals of immediate practical application such as biofuels, polymers, or therapeutics. However, we cannot yet engineer biological systems as easily and precisely as we engineer physical systems. In this review, we describe the path from the choice of target molecule to scaling production up to commercial volumes. We present and explain some of the current challenges and gaps in our knowledge that must be overcome in order to bring our bioengineering capabilities to the level of other engineering disciplines. Challenges start at molecule selection, where a difficult balance between economic potential and biological feasibility must be struck. Pathway design and construction have recently been revolutionized by next-generation sequencing and exponentially improving DNA synthesis capabilities. Although pathway optimization can be significantly aided by enzyme expression characterization through proteomics, choosing optimal relative protein expression levels for maximum production is still the subject of heuristic, non-systematic approaches. Toxic metabolic intermediates and proteins can significantly affect production, and dynamic pathway regulation emerges as a powerful but yet immature tool to prevent it. Host engineering arises as a much needed complement to pathway engineering for high bioproduct yields; and systems biology approaches such as stoichiometric modeling or growth coupling strategies are required. A final, and often underestimated, challenge is the successful scale up of processes to commercial volumes. Sustained efforts in improving reproducibility and predictability are needed for further development of bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Chubukov
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Aindrila Mukhopadhyay
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Héctor García Martín
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Posen ID, Jaramillo P, Griffin WM. Uncertainty in the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Production of Three Biobased Polymer Families. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:2846-58. [PMID: 26895173 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Interest in biobased products has been motivated, in part, by the claim that these products have lower life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than their fossil counterparts. This study investigates GHG emissions from U.S. production of three important biobased polymer families: polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and bioethylene-based plastics. The model incorporates uncertainty into the life cycle emission estimates using Monte Carlo simulation. Results present a range of scenarios for feedstock choice (corn or switchgrass), treatment of coproducts, data sources, end of life assumptions, and displaced fossil polymer. Switchgrass pathways generally have lower emissions than corn pathways, and can even generate negative cradle-to-gate emissions if unfermented residues are used to coproduce energy. PHB (from either feedstock) is unlikely to have lower emissions than fossil polymers once end of life emissions are included. PLA generally has the lowest emissions when compared to high emission fossil polymers, such as polystyrene (mean GHG savings up to 1.4 kg CO2e/kg corn PLA and 2.9 kg CO2e/kg switchgrass PLA). In contrast, bioethylene is likely to achieve the greater emission reduction for ethylene intensive polymers, like polyethylene (mean GHG savings up to 0.60 kg CO2e/kg corn polyethylene and 3.4 kg CO2e/kg switchgrass polyethylene).
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Affiliation(s)
- I Daniel Posen
- Department of Engineering & Public Policy and ‡Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Paulina Jaramillo
- Department of Engineering & Public Policy and ‡Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - W Michael Griffin
- Department of Engineering & Public Policy and ‡Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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