The BioForming® technology converts water soluble sugars into fuels and can economically utilize many types of carbohydrates from cellulosic and biomass-derived feedstocks. These include:
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Glycerol (by-product of biodiesel production) |
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Glucose and Sucrose (from sugar crops) |
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Starches (glucose containing polysaccharides) |
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Polymers of glucose contained in cellulose (plant cell walls) |
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C5 and C6 sugars such as xylose, arabinose, and glucose contained in hemicellulose (part of the protective covering around cellulose) |
The ability to process polysaccharides (complex sugars) and mixed sugar streams distinguishes the BioForming process from fermentation technologies. Fermentation microbes are adept at converting single sugar monosaccharides to specific product molecules. The BioForming process works on a broader composition of sugars making desirable, hydrocarbon blends.
Since Virent’s process is feedstock flexible, it enables the use of the lowest cost biomass sources available in each location.
Feedstock options include traditional food crops as well as non-food sources such as corn stover, switch grass, wheat straw, woody biomass, sugar cane bagasse, and sugar beet pulp.
| ©2007 Virent Energy Systems, Inc. |