Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP
Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP

Biomass fractionation

In the area of raw material processing, we are developing new technologies and innovative approaches for the processing of lignocellulosic raw materials and oilseeds in order to be able to use biomass as completely as possible and thus increase the value added.

The focus is on wood pulping and fractionation processes, the processing of oilseeds using the mild EthaNa process, and their scaling up to pilot scale.

Our biorefinery pilot plants are available for researching and scaling up processes for upstream processing, fractionation and downstream processing of the extracted ingredients on behalf of customers and in research projects.

Current R&D topics

  • Development and optimization of pulping processes for lignocelluloses
  • Recovery of ingredients from lignocellulose (extractives, hemicellulose, lignin, cellulose) with application-specific properties, e.g. for phenol-formaldehyde resins, polyurethanes or carbon fibers
  • Production of cellulose and lignin by Organosolv pulping processes and correlation with required product properties, e.g. as biopolymers or carrier components in pharmaceutical products
  • Processing of oils and protein-rich meals with the EthaNa process for feed and food production
  • Fractionation of by-product streams from the EthaNa process, e.g. hulls or valuable molecules, for applications in construction, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals

Biorefinery pilot plants at Fraunhofer CBP

 

Lignocellulose biorefinery

For pulping of lignocellulosic raw materials and their fractionation into their basic chemical components, lignin and sugar or fiber, a specially developed integrated pilot plant is available that enables pulping with organic solvents under increased pressures and temperatures, the so-called Organosolv technology.

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Oilseed biorefinery

The oilseed biorefinery uses the mild EthaNa process for processing oilseeds, which is performed at ambient pressure and a maximum of 70°C to avoid protein denaturation and other quality-reducing reactions. The process enables a holistic utilization of the raw materials and provides product fractions with higher quality compared to conventional industrial processes.



 

 

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