Speaker：Shijie Liu, Ph.D. （Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering,  SUNY ESF, USA）
Title：Bioethanol: A Sustainable Approach to Chemicals and Materials 
Time: 9:00-10:30 am, Jun 06, 2013
Location:State Key Laboratory of Pulppaper Engineering,ROOM 306

Abstract:
Sustainability has been the hot-topic today. Biomass has been characterized either as a sustainable chemical and energy source or as worse than fossil, all under the pretense of sustainability. From a broad and objective examination of the known chemical and energy sources, biomass is top the list as a sustainable source. Biomass conversion to ethanol has been the first controversial route to be commercialized for the production of biofuel. Despite its often much emphasized negatives, ethanol is the best choice in the search for a sustainable route for chemicals and energy. Ethanol fermentation has been practiced for centuries, which comes with better efficiency as compared with other biochemical such as butanol or more exotic alcohols or solvents. Ethanol is an intermediate that has been known for longer chain chemical and polymer synthesis.
At SUNY ESF, we have been started with the separation of hemicellulosic materials from woody biomass in the elaborate biomass bioenergy program. Hot-water extraction process has been developed to extract hemicellulosic materials and enhance the cellulosic biomaterial. The hemicellulosic materials were membrane concentrated and acid-hydrolyzed to mixed sugars. Xylose has been the dominant component in hardwood extracts. Glucose content is also high in Paulownia extracts. Membrane separated mixed sugars have been studied for ethanol production with yeast (P. stiptis) and bacterial (E. coli), butanol production, and other biochemicals. Ethanol fermention was shown more energetic than butanol. Ethanol is an ideal biochemical for sugar conversion.