Worcester Polytechnic Institute lead bamboo-to-ethanol process development

February 7, 2022 |

In Massachusetts, a team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and around the globe has co-developed a process to convert bamboo into an ethanol fuel for powering cars and trucks. The research, funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF)  the World Bank African Centers of Excellence program through the Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI), and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund of Nigeria (TETFund), has been published in the journal Advanced Sustainable Systems. The findings show that in countries with an abundant supply of bamboo, this new biofuel process could significantly reduce fossil fuel use—a major source of air pollution impacting health, economic development, and climate change.

Through processing using ball milling, which grinds up the bamboo, and an enzyme treatment, the researchers were able to convert the bamboo into simple sugars, which can then be fermented to create ethanol. Ball milling increases sugar yields obtained from the enzyme step by an order of magnitude, compared with the yields obtained without ball milling. In addition, the ball milling does not generate any new chemical wastes, unlike other methods used to make biofuels.

Category: Research

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