(Wageningen University/Biomass Magazine) Chemical building blocks from lignocellulosic feedstock form a huge potential for the production of bioplastics. More specifically, they have potential for biodegradable plastic polylactic acid (PLA). The building block for PLA – lactic acid – is currently produced mainly from starch originating from corn, or sugar from sugarcane. A sustainable and cost-effective production process for lactic acid on a scale that meets future demands requires the use of second generation biomass such as lignocellulose. Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research studies the process from lignocellulosic feedstock to lactic acid.
To get a clear view on the availability of agricultural residues for lactic acid production, Food & Biobased Research is performing a biomass availability study. We also carry out research into the pretreatment of lignocellulose for the production of lactic acid in order to define in-depth information about processing options.
…
The costs of lignocellulose can be reduced by focusing on increasing the amount of sugars produced per ton of biomass. Another strategy is to focus on low cost biomass such as residues that have negative or zero value, or biomass streams that bear no logistic costs. Pretreatment has been recognized as one of the most expensive processing steps in the conversion of lignocellulose to fermentable sugars. The key question in the assessment and comparison of different pretreatments is the resulting sugar concentration and the optimal concentration for fermentation to lactic acid. READ MORE