Butanediol from forest-based residual streams

Purpose and goal:

Butanediol, which is presently produced primarily through fossilbased processes, is a platform chemical with many uses. The project aims at producing butanediol through fermentation where residual streams, such as saw dust and fibre sludge, from the forest industry are used as raw materials for sugar production. Purification of butanediol after fermentation will also be investigated.

The goal is to determine an efficient production- and purification process where biobased residual streams are used as raw materials for the fermentation process to butanediol. Expected results and effects:

By involving forest industry, research institutes and chemical industry, the project is expected to result in an increased use of waste streams, cooperation between the involved businesses, increased market share of biobased chemicals, less demand of fossilbased materials and new technology solutions where butanediol can be produced and purified from complex fermentation media from wood materials. By increasing the value in the chemical industry with a biobased platform chemical, the project can contribute to fulfillment of Swedish and European sustainability goals.

Approach and implementation:

Fermentable sugar will be produced from saw dust and fibre sludge through thermochemical pretreatment and/or enzymatic hydrolysis. The produced sugar will be used in fermentation trials to isolate butanediol-producing microorganisms and subsequent optimization of the fermentation process in growth medium from wood material. Optimization of the purification process for butanediol from the growthmedium will be examined. A technoeconomical evaluation will be performed subsequently.