Exploiting waste paper crumble using industrial biotechnology

棕榈纸业有限公司每年回收40万吨废新闻纸。这产生了14万吨纸屑（PC）废物，需要花费400万英镑通过土地传播来处理。PC包括大约15-20%的纤维素和70%的纸填料（碳酸钙）以及少量的胶乳。本研究的目的是评估创新性地消化纤维素以释放葡萄糖，然后精制大的碳酸盐部分以重新纳入报纸生产过程的可行性。这将避免处置和减少新的纸张填料的进口。该研究还将评估通过发酵将释放的葡萄糖转化为化学品和燃料乙醇的可行性，这些酵母来自英国国家酵母培养物保藏中心。该研究将建立在诺里奇IFR生物精炼中心进行的初步研究基础上，并与棕榈纸，伦辛，plc和Vireol plc的工业研究专业知识相结合。研究亦会包括其他纤维素废物来源（例如废纸、纤维素纤维），以按需要提高规模经济效益。通过这种方式，该项目将有助于解决三个IB挑战：商品，平台和中间体化学品和材料的生产;液体和气体生物燃料的生产以及新的或改进的上游或下游工艺，以降低成本和提高效率。

Palm Paper Ltd. recycles 400K tonnes of waste newsprint annually. This creates 140,000 tonnes paper crumble (PC) waste which costs £4m to dispose of by landspreading. PC comprises approximately 15-20% cellulose and 70% paper filler (calcium carbonate) with a little latex. The aim of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of innovatively digesting the cellulose to liberate glucose and to then refine the large carbonate fraction for re-incorporation into the newspaper production process. This will avoid disposal and reduce the import of new paper filler. The research will also assess the feasibility of converting the liberated glucose to chemicals and fuel ethanol by fermentation with specialist yeasts identified from the UK National Collection of Yeast Cultures at Norwich. The study will build on preliminary research carried out at the Biorefinery Centre, IFR, Norwich, in conjunction with industrial research expertise of Palm Paper, Lenzing, plc and Vireol plc. Additional sources of cellulose waste (e.g. waste paper, cellulose fibres) will be incorporated into the study to improve economies of scale as required. In this way, the project will serve to address three IB challenges: production of commodity, platform and intermediate chemicals and materials; production of liquid and gaseous biofuels and novel or improved upstream or downstream processes to reduce costs and improve efficiency.