The
sunliquid® process for the sustainable and economic production of cellulosic
ethanol is now fully developed, being designed for industrial plants with a
production capacity of 50,000 to 150,000 ton of cellulosic ethanol per year.
Clariant provides the know-how and technology for all unit operations on a
turnkey basis, coupled with the expertise required for successful
implementation.
Pre-treatment
Chemical-free
pre-treatment lowers production and investment costs. At the same time,
environmental, health and safety risks are minimized.
Enzyme production
A small percentage of the pre-treated feedstock is
used for enzyme production, which is an integrated part of the process and
takes place on-site at the ethanol plant. This makes a major contribution to
the economic efficiency of the overall process, resulting in a significant
reduction in production costs and ensuring independence from supply shortages
and price volatility.
Hydrolysis
A
bespoke enzyme mixture hydrolyses cellulose and hemicellulose chains to form sugar
monomers. This step is also termed saccharification. The enzymes are highly optimized
based on feedstock and process parameters, resulting in maximum yields and short
reaction times under optimal conditions.
Fermentation
Using
optimized microorganisms, the sunliquid® process provides for efficient
fermentation, giving rise to maximum ethanol yields. This highly-optimized,
one-pot system simultaneously converts both C5 and C6 sugars to ethanol,
delivering up to 50% more ethanol than conventional processes which convert
only C6 sugars.
Separation
The
innovative and highly energy saving purification method reduces energy demand
by up to 50% compared with conventional distillation. It is based on thorough
process planning and energy integration, resulting in an entirely energy
self-sufficient process.
For more details see our Innovation Spotlight video.
- Competitive production costs
- Fully integrated process design
- Flexible and modular Process Design package
- Feedstock & process specific enzymes
- Process integrated enzyme production
- Simultaneous C5 and C6 fermentation
- Energy self-sufficient process
- 95% greenhouse gas savings
- No Food-vs.-Fuel dilemma
EcoTain®
Products that offer outstanding sustainability advantages are awarded Clariant’s EcoTain® label. EcoTain® products significantly exceed sustainability market standards, have best-in-class performance and contribute overall to sustainability efforts of the company and our customers. Find out more about: EcoTain®.Please contact us for safety and regulatory details or the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).