In Finland, researchers at VTT Technical Research Center of Finland have created a cellulose-based nanocomposite inspired by the ultra-strong clubs shrimp use to pulverize prey such as clams. VTT says the material, made from a mixture of birch-cellulose and genetically engineered proteins, can be used to make dental implant crowns. Being stronger but much lighter […]
In Latvia, a project was selected in the frame of HORIZON Europe program for research and innovation that aims to take significant commercialization steps based on the natural wood component lignin, creating industrial technologies for a significant reduction of the share of fossil raw materials in phenol formaldehyde resin, which is currently widely used in […]
With Climate Week on many minds this week, it’s good to see innovations being developed to take a step in a better direction. Take CPI Card Group which is launching credit cards made from waste plastic recovered from the ocean. Or researchers who have created a strong composite bioplastic from wood cellulose fibers and silk […]
In Japan, researchers at Japan’s Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute found a way to produce an alcoholic drink made from wood and hope to have their “wood alcohol” on shelves within three years. Using similar wood fermentation as what is used to produce biofuel, they were able to remove toxins and make it flavorful. […]
Can you build a catalytic process to produce alpha, omega diols from lignocellulosic biomass? Such a process, using inorganic catalysts for conversion of biomass into 1.5 pentanediol (PDO) and 1,6 hexanediols could reduce the cost of cellulosic biofuels. In this DOE-supported project, a team led by George Huber at the University of Wisconsin is developing […]
Maine is the Pine Tree state and yet in recent years the industries surrounding the noble pine have been in all kinds of distress, as readers have fled newspapers and magazines for digital reading. Now, Maine’s hardwoods have been in demand. The market for maple, yellow birch, and white ash hardwoods has been strong. The […]
By Gerald Kutney, Special to The Digest The 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation arrived on July 1st of this year — it is a time to reflect upon the country’s achievements; this article covers the evolution of the Canadian biofuel industry – including gaseous, liquid and solid biofuels, and biomass power – from 1867 to 2017. The […]
In England, Nova Pangaea reports that birch chips having been processed through the company’s hemicellulose hydrolysis technology yielding 90% monomer xylose from the hemicellulose, the chip size reduced during the hydrolysis process. The pilot ws originally designed at the 40 kilo/hr scale and was scheduled to be installed at the Wilton chemical complex on Teesside, […]
Tired of corn, corn, corn or cane, cane, cane? There are 101 feedstocks in the biofuels canon. Here’s what’s up with each of them, and all of them. In Florida, Biofuels Digest released its annual Guide to biofuels feedstocks, tracking 10,658 items published in the Digest in the past 48 months on 101 feedstocks for […]
MOSCOW — It was the evening of the day in 1990 that Saddam Hussein rolled his tanks into Kuwait, igniting the First Gulf War. I was camped out in the cafeteria at the Cosmos Hotel, north of Moscow’s center, watching the one working television and waiting for Gorbachev to make a statement on the invasion. […]
