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Related Concept Videos

Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass using the OrganoCat Process06:19

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OrganoCat is a method for the pretreatment and fractionation of lignocellulose under mild conditions into lignin, fermentable sugars, and cellulose pulp. In a biogenic, biphasic solvent system of water and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran with 2,5-furancarboxylic acid as catalyst, the OrganoCat products are separated in situ for straightforward product...
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Deep eutectic solvent-based, microwave-assisted pretreatment is a green, fast, and efficient process for lignocellulosic fractionation and high-purity lignin recovery.
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Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass09:30

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Ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) is a thermochemical pretreatment technology that can convert lignocellulosic biomass (e.g., corn stover, rice straw, and sugarcane bagasse) into a highly digestible feedstock for both biofuels and animal feed applications. Here, we describe a laboratory-scale method for conducting AFEX pretreatment on lignocellulosic...
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The pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass with protic low-cost ionic liquids is shown, resulting in a delignified cellulose-rich pulp and a purified lignin. The pulp gives rise to high glucose yields after enzymatic...
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Plant cell wall structure and chemistry traits are evaluated to identify ideal feedstocks for biofuels and bio-materials. Standard methods have limitations when applied to large data sets. These high-throughput pretreatment, enzyme saccharification, and pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry methods compare large numbers of biomass samples with decreased experimental time and...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass using the OrganoCat Process
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Lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment using AFEX.

Venkatesh Balan1, Bryan Bals, Shishir P S Chundawat

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) pretreatment effectively breaks down plant biomass recalcitrance. This process enhances cellulose accessibility for high glucose yields and offers advantages like ammonia recovery and simplified processing.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomass Pretreatment
  • Renewable Energy
  • Biochemical Engineering

Background:

  • Cellulose hydrolysis is hindered by lignin and hemicellulose barriers, necessitating effective pretreatment methods.
  • Lignocellulosic recalcitrance limits efficient biomass conversion into biofuels and biochemicals.
  • Existing pretreatments often produce inhibitory byproducts and require extensive downstream processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail the Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) pretreatment process for biomass.
  • To explain reactor design, mass balance calculations, and safety protocols for AFEX.
  • To highlight AFEX's effectiveness in reducing lignocellulosic recalcitrance and enhancing cellulose hydrolysis.

Main Methods:

  • Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) utilizes high temperature, pressure, and ammonia to disrupt biomass structure.
  • AFEX increases cellulose surface accessibility, reduces crystallinity, and depolymerizes hemicellulose.
  • The process minimizes the formation of inhibitory degradation products.

Main Results:

  • AFEX pretreatment significantly reduces lignocellulosic recalcitrance.
  • Optimal enzymatic hydrolysis of AFEX-treated corn stover yields approximately 98% theoretical glucose.
  • AFEX facilitates high solid loading hydrolysis by eliminating the washing step.

Conclusions:

  • AFEX is a highly effective pretreatment for enhancing biomass hydrolysis and glucose yield.
  • AFEX offers unique advantages including chemical recovery, nutrient addition, and simplified processing.
  • This chapter provides a practical guide for implementing safe and efficient AFEX pretreatment.