ESTABLISHMENT OF BIOMASS CONVERSION INDUSTRY IN HOKKAIDO

北海道有大量的高寒地区速生白桦树和间伐、农业废弃物等劣质生物质材料，但这些资源的利用效率较低或被废弃。为了将生物质原料转化为绿色化学品、精细化学品、生物降解塑料、生物能源等，我们在北海道建立了一个新型生物质转化工厂，并进行了基础研究。一种是常压乙酸法，另一种是HBS法。桦木和其他木材材料很容易分级成纤维素，木质素和/或半纤维素在几乎定量的产量。所得纤维素具有优异的造纸和溶解纸浆以及生物化学品的性能。从前者作为单糖获得的半纤维素可用于生物化学品和食品添加剂。木质素可用于制备清洁、高热值的生物燃料、功能性生物聚合物（环氧树脂、苯酚-间苯二酚树脂和可能的聚氨酯树脂）、成型活性炭等。桦木醇似乎被用作精细化学品、生物降解聚合物和药物（如抗HIZ剂）的原料。

There are a large quantity of birch tree fast-growing in a cold district, and also poor-grade biomass materials such as thinning and agricultural wastes in Hokkaido, but they have been utilized less effective use or discarded. We carried out a fundamental investigation to establish a novel biomass-conversion mill in Hokkaido to convert their biomass materials to green chemicals, fine chemicals, biodegradation plastics, bioenergy and so forth.We established two biomass refinery processes with non-pollution and save-energy. One is an atmospheric acetic acid method and another HBS method. Birch wood and other biomas materials were easily fractionated into cellulose, lignin and/or hemicellulose in almost quantitative yields. The resulting cellulose had excellent properties for paper and dissolving pulps, and biochemicals. Hemicellulose obtained as monosaccharides from the former can be used for biochemicals and food additives. Lignin can be utilized for biofuel with clean and high calorific value, and functional biopolymers (epoxide, phenol-resorcinol and maybe polyurethane resins), molding active carbons and so forth.Betulin was extracted with acetic acid and other solvents in a yield of 30% from outer bark of birch. Betulin appears to be used as raw materials for fine chemicals, biodegradation polymers, and medicine such as anti-HIZ agents.