Developing new and sustainable fuels and products from biomass, Professor Bin Yang works with members of his lab at WSU Tri-Cities. Yang led research into new, economically feasible production of sugar for biofuels.
Bin Yang, a professor at WSU’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering and a lead investigator, stated: “Inexpensive sugar is the key to commercial success for new technologies that make fuels and useful products from renewable biomass.” The project involved collaboration with the University of Connecticut, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the USDA Forest Products Lab in Madison, Wisconsin, and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
The team devised a pretreatment process using potassium hydroxide and ammonium sulfite at moderate temperatures to break down complex cellulosic biomass, such as corn stover, which is rich in cellulose and lignin. This treatment enables enzymes to convert the biomass into fermentable sugar without requiring chemical recovery, addressing the high processing costs that have hindered biomass utilization. The resulting sugar, priced as low as 28 cents per pound by leveraging byproduct sales, is competitive with imported sugar.
Xiaowen Chen, a scientist at NREL and principal investigator, said: “In the next phase, we will be advancing our pretreatment technology at a pilot scale.” The process also generates fertilizer as a byproduct, which can enrich soil nutrients for farmers, creating a waste-free system. Yang noted: “This patent-pending process produces high-quality fermentable sugar for the biorefinery — the industrial process turning plant matter into fuel — as well as fertilizer that can replenish soil nutrients for farmers. There’s no waste stream.”
Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, the study highlights the potential of abundant, low-cost biomass as a renewable source for energy and chemicals. By overcoming the challenges of breaking down tough plant materials, this method enhances the economic viability of biorefineries. The process supports sustainable practices by repurposing agricultural waste and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The research marks a significant step toward scalable, cost-effective biofuel production, with plans to test the technology at a larger scale to further validate its commercial potential.
