Product design methodology and techno-economic viability for lignin-based biorefineries

该建议涉及木质素基生物炼制的产品设计方法的开发和应用，以及产品设计方法的结果与木质素转化过程的工艺设计和技术经济的联系。 大量的木质素可以通过许多基于森林生物质原料的方法生产，包括常规的硫酸盐法和亚硫酸盐法制浆方法，以及溶剂法制浆方法。 木质素产品领域的突破将有助于林业部门的革命，但问题是，应该生产什么产品？ 提出了一种基于评估木质素结构和功能的系统方法，这将产生新的知识，使林业公司能够更具体地确定其木质素产品工艺生物炼制战略。在这个项目中开发的设计方法将在欣顿阿尔伯塔的西弗雷泽工厂的案例研究中得到证明。 该研究计划的短期目标包括：（a）表征从不同生物质原料和工艺（包括溶剂制浆（LMWl）和木质素沉淀）生产的不同木质素材料（B）了解如何将生产的木质素和木质素馏分加工成不同的增值产品，以及如何将这些产品交付给现有的价值链，（c）开发和评估生物精炼策略的技术经济学，包括不确定性，以及（d）量化不同木质素生物精炼策略中的重大市场和技术不确定性，并将不确定性纳入产品工艺设计分析。 该研究的长期目标是确定可行的森林生物精炼战略，这些战略可能使加拿大林业公司受益，这些公司的经济可行性在很大程度上是由于木质素产品。 这一结果是为了支持加拿大的林业部门，此外，在加拿大的地区，森林部门的社区，使他们可以更好地生存，并最终通过他们的转型森林生物精炼繁荣。

This proposal concerns the development and application of product design methods for the lignin-based biorefinery, and linkage of the outcome from the product design methods, with process design and techno-economics of lignin transformation processes. Large quantities of lignin can be produced by a number of processes based on forest biomass feedstocks, including the conventional kraft and sulphite pulping processes, and also, solvent pulping processes. A break-through in the area of lignin products would help revolutionize the forest sector, but the question is, what products should be produced? A systematic methodology based on evaluating lignin structure and functionality is proposed, which should result in new knowledge that will enable forestry companies to more specifically identify their lignin product-process biorefinery strategies. The design methodologies developed in this project will be demonstrated in a case study context at the West Fraser mill in Hinton Alberta. The short term objectives of the research program include (a) characterize different lignin materials produced from different biomass feedstocks and processes, including solvent pulping (Lignol) and lignin precipitation (FPInnovations), (b) understand how produced lignin and lignin fractions can be processed into different added-value products, and how these products can be delivered into existing value chains, (c) to develop and evaluate the techno-economics of biorefinery strategies including uncertainty, and (d) quantify the significant market and technology uncertainties in different lignin-based biorefinery strategies, and incorporate the uncertainties into product-process design analysis. The longer term objective of the research is to identify viable forest biorefinery strategies which can potentially benefit Canadian forestry companies, whose economic viability is in large part due to lignin-based products. This outcome is in support of Canada's forestry sector generally, and furthermore, the forest-sector communities in Canada's regions so that they may better survive and ultimately prosper through their transformation to the forest biorefinery.