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H Knight, Biofuel turns to a healthier diet, NewScientist, 29 May 2010, p 22
petroleum imports by nearly $70 million by 2022. Other estimates suggest a complete replacement. The task is to break down the cell wall cellulose into a digestible form leading to sugars, and eventually to bioethanol. The Office of Biobased Technologies has developed ammonia fibre expansion (AFEX) with 90% of conversion, in which biomatter is added to ammonia at 100ÂșC and 20 atm, and then the pressure released explosively which pulls the cellulose microfilms apart, with a yield of 300 L/tonne feedstock. The ZeaChem company uses acetogenic bacteria for the sugar-ethanol conversion, yielding over 500 L/tonne feedstock. The Australian company Microbiogen uses dilute sulphuric acid to break down hemicellulose and convert it to xylose sugar, yielding 200 L of ethanol plus up to 90 kg of high-protein yeast/tonne feedstock.
Abstract details
Journal title: New Scientist
Keywords: 2 Aerospace - 2.5 Alternative aviation fuels
Subjects: Organic Chemistry, Aerospace engineering, Biotechnology, Aviation, Food and tobacco, Paper pulp and print, Wood and wood products, Biofuels, Crude oil, Fuelwood, wood residues and by-products, Liquid biofuels, Refinery feedstock