Industrial Scale-Up and Commercial Readiness (TRL 8-9)

Enzyme that modifies wood composition and increases its capacity for becoming strong and quality paper. Paper strength is traditionally improved by using more expensive pulps, more energy, and different chemical additives. Maximyze® uses natural enzymes from fermentation. These enzymes modify cellulose to create more sites for hydrogen bonding, which translates into more fibrils that bind the wood fibers together. This technology reduces the need for high-cost materials and other methods. 

Alumina processing aid designed to prevent the formation of sodalite. Sodalite scale commonly accumulates in the Bayer Process. Traditionally, sodalite scale was addressed after its formation, resulting in a costly and inefficient treatment process. MAX HT® reduces energy and freshwater consumption in alumina processing by addressing sodalite scale before it becomes problematic.

Activator chemicals that work with hydrogen peroxide to replace chlorine bleaches. TAML™ (tetraamido-macrocyclic ligand activators) activators can be used to prepare wood pulp for papermaking and remove stains from laundry. This technology eliminates chlorinated byproducts from wastewater streams and saves energy and water. This process minimizes pollution by employing reagents and processes that mimic those found in nature. More specifically, Terry Collins developed activators with the natural oxidant hydrogen peroxide.

Process for renewable bio-1,4-butanediol (BDO). Geno BDO™ is a process that derives BDO from plant sugars instead of fossil fuel feedstocks. BDO can be used in a variety of everyday materials and consumer products, such as spandex, shoes, cars, and electronics. This novel process is cost-effecting and estimated to result in 90% carbon reduction. Producing all BDO with the Geno BDO™ process would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14 million tons.

Carbon recycling technology. This technology uses bacteria to convert waste gas (pollution) to fuels and chemicals. Carbon gas streams are common byproducts of established processes. LanzaTech utilizes these gas streams to produce fuels such as ethanol and chemicals such as 2,3-butanediol at high selectivities and yields. LanzaTech's microbes can also consume H2-free CO-only gas streams due to a biological water-gas shift reaction with CO2 and CO catalyzed by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase.

Carbon-negative alcohols and fuels. AIRMADE™ is patented process that imitates photosynthesis. It uses renewable energy to convert excessive carbon dioxide into carbon-negative alcohols and fuels with only oxygen as a by product. Carbon dioxide is captured from industrial plants before they are emitted into the atmospher and is cooled, pressurized, and liquified. Hydrogen is produced with renewable energy through on-site electrolysis; an electrolyzer splits water into hydrogen, yielding oxygen gas a byproduct that is simply released into the air.

Fractionates a variety of lignocellulosic feedstocks to produce high-quality second-generation biofuels and biochemicals. REFNOVA is a process that generates the highest possible yield of biofuels and biochemicals from plant biomass. It uses plant residues that are left after the extraction of food or other primary products. Virtually all forms of plant biomass can be valorized with little or no waste through this process. The company increases income in local areas and minimizes environmental impact by applying REFNOVA at the source using discarded plant materials.

Gasification systems that convert non-recyclable organic waste (bark, sawdust, clean construction/demolition debris, biosolids from sewage sludge) into a product called "syngas" that can be used to fuel heat and power. This novel process has low air emissions and particulate carryover, reducing emissions controls and permits costs. The design is also very simple and has few moving parts. The gasification system can process many challenging renewable waste feedstocks with moisture contents ranging from 6-60% and sizes up to 75 mm.

The Catalytic BioForming® Process converts aqueous carbohydrate solutions into mixtures of "drop-in" hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbon molecules are derived from renewable feedstocks but are equivalent to those found in petroleum products. These hydrocarbons are scalable because they maintain market acceptance; these molecules can be blended with existing infrastructure to produce premium-quality gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel. Fuels produced from these sustainable hydrocarbons are more energy efficient and have lower life-cycle carbon emissions than crude oil fuels.

Algenol develops blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) to produce ethanol and other fuels in an EPA-certified process. Blue-green algae transforms 80% of absorbed carbon into methanol, reducing the carbon footprint of ethanol and other fuel production. This process reduces costs, water usage, and reliance on crops as feedstock. The growing conditions of blue green-algae are also clean and controlled. Enhanced algae produces high quantities of biomass efficiently, making this process 15-20% time more efficient than producing corn-based ethanol. The overall process also produces minimal waste.