Clean Technology for Biorefining

“BBS” is our low-cost high-efficiency flagship process, the result of the company’s inquisitive minds and 10 years of research and development (R&D) on improving the efficiencies of biomass-to-chemical conversion technologies.

The yields of all currently used furfural-manufacturing processes (incl. SupraYield®) are reduced by undesired side reactions. In other words, there are waste products that cause water and/or airborne pollution! With “BBS” the DalinYebo team has created the latest generation of biorefining technology that combines lignocellulose fractionation with an integrated hydrothermal reaction and selective phase transfer process with post purification to obtain furfural, prior to its bulk storage. “BBS” prevents pollution at molecular level.

Development Background

In 2007, after 5 years of research, using a large variety of biomass feedstocks, the award winning DalinYebo team concluded that SupraYield®, though novel in its approach to furfural recovery, still suffers loss reactions typical of other commercial processes. Therefore, the company’s most recent research has focused on identifying and providing solutions for the ‘mechanisms’ governing these loss reactions, which comprise a complex set of interactions between catalysts, reactants, reaction pathways and products.

Disruptive Technology

The “BBS” is DalinYebo’s successful R&D outcome, which uses a unique sequence of proven state-of-the-art third party processing technologies. The novelty of the “BBS” intellectual property is the smart integration of technologies, which are used in other very different process applications. The forecast of a significant and sustainable reduction in operating costs (>25%) is based upon the individual unit’s known performance, featuring an absence of loss reactions and a different energy requirement.

"BBS" plug-in design is flexible and can also incorporate other C₅-conversion technologies, such as the SupraYield® furfural manufacturing process.

Biorefineries or pulp mills employ various lignocellulose fractionation steps in their processing.  Where “BBS” is supplied as part of a greenfields biobased electricity plant, such fractionation schemes would be incorporated in conjunction with the integrated hydrothermal reaction and selective phase transfer stages.

Plug-in Concept

It would not be far-fetched to compare the functioning of “BBS” to that of a dialysis machine. Like a kidney, the “BBS” takes the full biomass stream and removes the pentosans , which in most cases are of little (or even negative) value to the intended use of the biomass. The biomass is then returned for its principal use, such as electricity generation, cellulosic ethanol production, pulp manufacturing, etc.

"BBS" Biorefining Schemes

Whilst DalinYebo’s business model is based on the synergy of biobased electricity and chemicals, the use of the “BBS” technology will extend specifically to the following two industries:

• Pulp Mills: In selected pulp mills, the “BBS” plug-in will have a strong impact on improving the energy efficiency of chemical recovery, evaporator capacity and operation.  It will thus lower the CO₂-foot print of that mill and reduce capital costs of future mill expansions.
• Cellulosic Ethanol (Pre-treatment): The “BBS” plug-in removes the pentosans (C₅-components), which interfere (partially poison: ) with the cellulase! Therefore, when “BBS” is plugged-in as part of the lignocellulose pre-treatment stage, it will improve the quality of the biomass for enzymatic conversion, reducing operating costs/improving conversion yields.
  

March 2010

"BBS" is still a pre-commercial product and the above serves as an invitation to interested parties and/or other technology developers: DalinYebo is available to explore commercialisation options.