Biorefining – technology for processing waste biomass of plant origin
The “Pro Civis” Foundation, together with a local start-up (InnEco), has been conducting research and implementation work directed at optimizing methods of processing plant-derived biomass through a cascade extraction process (for example; mechanical extraction, chemical extraction with solvents, supercritical CO2), the aim of which was to extract from biomass a wide spectrum of highly valuable chemical compounds, which, as a rule, are not synthesized on a mass scale based on fossil hydrocarbons. The final element of the biorefining process was the use of Slow Thermal Biomass Refining (STBR) technology, which yielded, among other things; significant amounts of activated biocarbon, platform chemicals, numerous carbon acids, oils, dyes, as well as biogas (90% of which is biomethane). Biogas is partially returned to the process and used to maintain expected temperatures in the reactor. The materials and chemical compounds obtained in the processes, meet the requirements that allow their use in the food, chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The technology is being tested on the basis of biomass obtained as a side products from the food and wood industries, and the solutions tested on a demo scale allowed full and completely waste-free use of such biomass, while leading to a significant increase in its economic value.
