Towards a novel and sustainable biorefinery concept based on green technologies for main commercial grain crop residues (BIOCODE)

Research summary

The BIOCODE project aims to develop high-value extraction compounds (e.g. protein, oil, waxes, and carotenoids), cellulose and hemicellulose products (nanocelluloses, soluble cellulosic macromolecules, sugars and lactic acid) and lignin based materials (biochar, soil additives, chemicals) from main commercial grain crop residues (corn, rapeseed and wheat co-streams). A sequential fractionation concept based on extraction pre-treatment (fractionation of minor components) followed by hydrothermal destructuration (fractionation of major components) will be developed and integrated with a variety of conversion techniques.

Description

The BIOCODE project aims to develop highvalue extraction compounds (e.g. protein, oil, waxes, and carotenoids), cellulose and hemicellulose products (nanocelluloses, soluble cellulosic macromolecules, sugars and lactic acid) and lignin based (biochar, soil additives, chemicals) from main commercial grain crop residues (corn, rapeseed and wheat costreams).

The specific objectives of the BIOCODE are i) to characterize and evaluate feasibility of corn, rapeseed and wheat costreams as feedstocks for the developed fractionation and valorization concept ii) to develop supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) extraction pretreatment to fractionate intermediate products (protein, oil, waxes, and carotenoids) from corn, rapeseed, and wheat costreams iii) to investigate cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin fractionation via hydrothermal destructuration and valorisation of hemicellulose sugars using a ermentation to L(+) lactic acid iv) to investigate conversion of fractionated cellulose to nanocelluloses, fibres and soluble macromolecules using deep eutectic solvent (DES) v ) to develop
hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) of lignin fraction vi) to conduct holistic sustainability and cost evaluation of developed concept to enhance the productisation, commercialisation and market uptake of the concept.

Expected results: The project will result in a proofofconcept for the developed holistic fractionation and valorisation technique in labscale.

More information

Project information

Research info

Research title
Towards a novel and sustainable biorefinery concept based on green technologies for main commercial grain crop residues (BIOCODE)

Research timeline
1.3.2017 - 1.3.2020

Keywords
cellulose destructuration and conversion Fractionation and Valorisation Techniques High Value Extraction Compounds

Region
Latin America

Countries
Argentina, Chile, Finland

Institution
University of Oulu
Faculty of Technology
Oulu, Finland

Funding instrument
Other, Ministry for Foreign Affairs (ICI, HEI-ICI, N-S-S), Academy of Finland

Head of research
Henrikki Liimatainen

Research team
Henrikki Liimatainen, Terhi Suopajärvi, Lothar Driller, Robin White, Gianluca Ottolina, César López

Partners
University of Oulu, Finland, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Germany, Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Moleculare, Italy, Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, Fundación Fraunhofer Chile Research, Chile.

Contact information
Henrikki Liimatainen
+358505659711
henrikki.liimatainen@oulu.fi
Open link

Record last updated
11.2.2019