USDA infrared tool cuts cost of grading bioenergy feedstock by 99 percent

In Washington, the USDA Agricultural Research Service has developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at the biorefinery’s loading dock. Researchers developed the first use of near-infrared sensing (NIRS) to measure 20 components in switchgrass biomass that determine its potential value to biorefiners. These components include cell wall sugars, soluble sugars and lignin. With this information, 13 traits can be determined, including the efficiency of the conversion from sugars to ethanol. The study shows it is feasible to use NIRS to estimate ethanol yields of switchgrass at about $5 a sample, instead of $300 to $2,000 per sample using conventional analytical methods.