Biobased Chemicals - Background

Rationale for Biobased Chemicals Production

The production of chemicals from biomass, also known as bio-based chemicals, plays a critical role in creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly future, particularly as the world strives to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Some of the advantages of biobased chemicals are listed below:
  • Climate Change Mitigation - Unlike fossil fuels, bio-based chemicals are made from plant materials that recently absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
  • Security of Supply - Fossil fuel supply often is reliant on geopolitically unstable regions. Developing domestic sources of biomass and the infrastructure to convert such feedstocks to chemicals, can help improve national chemicals security.
  • Sustainable Development - Biomass can often be produced and processed locally, promoting rural development and creating jobs in agriculture, industry, and research.
  • Waste Management - Biomass for bio-based chemicals can come from waste residues from agriculture, forestry, or even municipal waste. Using these waste streams for biobased chemicals can help solve waste disposal problems.
  • Biodegradability - Many bio-based chemicals and the products made from them are biodegradable, avoiding environmental pollution associated with many fossil-derived resources.
  • Resource Efficiency - The use of biomass as a raw material can contribute to a more circular economy, where waste from one process becomes the feedstock for another. This approach increases resource efficiency and reduces environmental impact compared to linear models of production.

Approaches for the Production of Biobased Chemicals

There are two main ways in which biobased chemicals can be obtained from biomass feedstocks:

  1. Direct Extraction from Biomass - In this approach the target chemicals already exist within the feedstock. Hence, the focus of the bioprocess is on the extraction of the target chemical and then on subsequent separation and purification steps. CBD (cannabidiol), an alkaloid obtained from extracts of the hemp (cannabis) plant, is one example, among thousands, of a biobased chemical obtained this way.
  2. Production from Biomass or Biomass-Derived Compounds - Here the biobased chemical does not exist natively in the feedstock but is produced from it. This conversion can involve chemical, thermal, catalytic, and biological approaches or a combination of these. It is usually the case that the key stage of the bioprocess, where the biobased chemical is produced, works on a fraction, or derivative, of the original biomass feedstock. For example, ethanol can be produced via fermentation of the monomeric sugars obtained when the lignocellulosic polysaccharides (cellulose and/or hemicellulose) are hydrolysed. Alternatively, ethanol can also be produced via catalytic reforming of the syngas produced in the gasification of biomass.
The viability of obtaining a specific biobased chemical from biomass depends on a wide variety of factors, including the chemical composition of the feedstock and its suitability for different bioprocessing technologies. In some cases a feedstock may not be a good match for a particular biobased chemical but may be more suitable for the production of other types of biobased chemicals.

How Celignis Can Help

At Celignis our multidisciplinary team has strong understanding of: biomass chemistry, bioprocessing technologies, and the mechanisms and challenges involved in producing a wide variety of biobased chemicals. We are ready to work with you on developing a suitable bioprocess to either obtain your targeted biobased chemical from biomass or to obtain the most appropriate biobased chemicals from a given feedstock.