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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass with Low-cost Ionic Liquids
Published on: August 10, 2016
Sustainable PHA production in integrated lignocellulose biorefineries
Karolin Dietrich1, Marie-Josée Dumont1, Luis F Del Rio2
1Bioresource Engineering Department, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd., H9X 3V9, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, QC, Canada.
Abstract:
In emerging bioeconomies, the compostable biopolymers polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are desirable products due to their similarity to petropolymers. While industrial PHA production has been growing rapidly, obtaining a cheap and sustainable carbon source is still a challenge. Among biobased feedstocks, lignocellulose is a cheap, abundant and potentially sustainable carbon source. However, because of its recalcitrance, separation and depolymerization processes that have not reached industrial maturity are usually required. Integrated biorefineries utilize a holistic approach to conversion processes to minimize feedstock price and maximize resource use. This review examines the technical feasibility of merging PHA production and lignocellulose biorefining in integrated processing facilities. Among lignocellulosic feedstocks, wood is a promising carbon source due to its mature industrial infrastructure. Among the lignocellulose components, the hemicellulose fraction is the most promising feedstock for PHA production since it is underutilized and can be combined with bioethanol production from the cellulose fraction. Fractionation processes allow separate recovery of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, to which PHA can be added as a co-product.
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