MBI issued patent for AFEX biomass pretreatment technology and hits 500-batch production milestone

In Michigan, MBI’s AFEX biomass pretreatment technology has been issued a US patent, by the USPTO.

A video about AFEX technology and its potential impact can be found here.

The AFEX technology was conceived at MBI in 2010, this technology enables “low-cost production of AFEX pretreated biomass, while cost-effectively recycling and reusing the catalyst used during the process.”  This patented technology has been successfully scaled 100-fold, leading to the current one-ton-per-day AFEX pilot plant, at MBI’s Lansing, Michigan facility.

In addition to celebrating the issuance of its key patent, MBI recently achieved another milestone: the production of over 500 batches (15 tons) of AFEX pretreated biomass. Taken together, the patent and production milestones demonstrate the technology’s innovativeness, as well as its robust, consistent performance.

“Currently, we are focused on advancing AFEX technology from pilot to demonstration scale in order to showcase its viability and efficacy for both cattle feed and fuels applications,” said Bobby Bringi, MBI’s CEO. “MBI is commercializing this technology on behalf of MSU. Ultimately, our vision is to broadly share this technology to maximize its global societal benefits.”

MBI noted that, for every ton of corn, wheat, and rice harvested today, an equal amount of biomass is left behind on the fields. Within this biomass—of which nearly 2 billion tons are produced each year around the world—nature locks away huge stores of inaccessible sugars.