Producing methane from lignin degradation byproducts

将废弃的有机材料转化为化学品和燃料是应对化石燃料库存枯竭、气候变化和能源安全等全球性问题的一种手段。可用于生产燃料和化学品的废料主要来自生产植物油、乙醇、糖和面粉等产品的设施。这些产品用于生产许多消费品。生产设备产生的废弃副产品中含有木质素，这是一种复杂的化学物质，不能添加到食品中。许多微生物不能利用木质素，因为它不太容易受到酶的化学攻击。因此，一个研究的转变必须集中在开发非微生物过程木质素转化为有价值的化学品。纤维素、半纤维素和木质素是木材等生物质的主要化学成分。相比之下，碳水化合物是由玉米、甜菜、小麦和甘蔗等作物生产的。甘蔗、小麦和甜菜加工成食品的废物副产品富含木质素。在加拿大，纸浆和造纸部门从软木材和硬木材中生产纸制品和富含木质素的废物。纸浆和造纸部门对加拿大经济至关重要，开发将木质素转化为增值产品的技术将有助于保持该行业的竞争优势。加拿大纸浆和造纸部门以及其他类似的全球工业生产黑液，这是一种低价值的废物。木质素可从废液如黑液中提取。本研究将采用质子离子液体从黑液中提取木质素。提取的木质素将用于生产可生物降解的化学品，利用光活化化学品，如二氧化钛和氧化锌，以及改性二氧化钛、氧化锌催化剂以及氧化剂，如臭氧和过氧化氢。二氧化钛和氧化锌在商业上是可用的，这些金属分解木质素的能力取决于利用光和其他因素。在项目的最后阶段，将利用天然细菌从光催化过程的副产品和化学氧化剂中产生甲烷。甲烷是一种有价值的燃料，可用于住宅、工业和运输部门。

Converting waste organic materials into chemicals and fuels are a means to combat global issues such as depleting fossil fuels inventories, climate change and energy security. Major source of wastes materials available for producing fuels and chemicals are available from facilities producing products such as vegetable oils, ethanol, sugar and flour. These products are employed in producing numerous consumer products. Manufacturing facilities produce waste byproducts containing lignin, a complicated chemical, which cannot be added to food products. Many microorganisms are unable to utilize lignin because it is not very susceptible to chemical attack by enzymes. Hence, a research shift must be focused on developing non-microbial processes for converting lignin into valuable chemicals. Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin are the major chemical components in biomass such as wood. In comparison, carbohydrates are produced from crops such as corn, beet, wheat and sugar cane. Wastes byroducts from sugar cane, wheat and beet processing into foods are rich in lignin. In Canada, the pulp and paper sector produces paper products and a lignin rich waste from soft and hard woods. The pulp and paper sector is important to Canada's economy and developing technologies to convert lignin into value added products will assist in sustaining a competitive edge of this industry. The Canadian pulp and paper sector and other similar global industries produce black liquor, a low value waste. Lignin can be extracted from waste streams such as black liquor. In the proposed work, lignin will be extracted from black liquor using protic ionic liquids. The extracted lignin will be employed to produce biodegradable chemicals utilizing photoactivated chemicals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as well as modified titanium dioxide, zinc oxide catalysts as well as oxidants such as ozone and hydrogen peroxide. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are commercially available and the ability of these metals to breakdown lignin depends on utilizing light and other factors. In the final project stage, naturally occurring bacteria will be employed to produce methane from the byproducts from the photocatalytic process and chemical oxidants. Methane is a valuable fuel which can be utilized in the residential, industrial and transportation sectors.