Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Exhibit Hall
Lignocellulosic biorefineries must be able to efficiently process the regional feedstocks that are available at cost-competitive prices year round. These feedstocks typically have low energy densities and vary significantly in composition. One potential solution to these issues is blending and/or densifying the feedstocks in order to create a uniform feedstock. We processed the mixture of four feedstocks - switchgrass, lodgepole pine, corn stover, and eucalyptus - in flour and pellet form using the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, dilute sulfuric acid (DA) and soaking in ammonia (SAA) pretreatment. Chemical composition, crystallinity and substrate reactivity of the pretreated feedstocks were compared across different pretreatment technologies. We then applied a high-throughput nanostructure initiator mass spectrometry (NIMS)-based biomass saccharide screening platform to develop optimized synthetic mixtures of enzymes for pretreatment/mixed feedstock combinations. Enzyme cocktails including the core cellulases and hemicellulases and accessory enzymes were identified for improved hydrolysis efficiency on pretreated mixed feedstocks.