Synthetic Methodology

Lactones, salts, crystals, and other forms of high-purity glucaric acid through fermentation using microbes from biomass. kalion Inc. uses patented microbes from biomass through synthetic biological processes to produce lactones, salts, crystals, and other forms of high-purity glucaric acid through fermentation. Glucaric acid can replace phosphates and chelating agents in detergents and waste treatment. The traditional use of phosphates and chelating agents may include eutrophication, which may interfere with the removal and treatment of toxic metals.

Catalysts for the production of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is generally clean and environmentally friendly, but its conventional production is not. The conventional production of hydrogen peroxide uses several toxic reagents. This novel method uses a metal catalyst, NxCat, to produce hydrogen peroxide directly from oxygen and hydrogen gases and only produces water as a byproduct. The process is also cost-effective and less energy-intensive. The catalyst is also manufactured from safe and renewable feedstocks.

Production of propylene oxide via hydrogen peroxide. Propylene oxide (PO) is a chemical building block for detergents, polyurethanes, de-icers, food additives, and personal care items. The traditional production of PO creates byproducts and significant waste. This novel route produces PO with hydrogen peroxide by using a catalyst, eliminating most of the waste and significantly reducing water and energy use. The production of wastewater is reduced by 70-80%, and energy use is reduced by 35%. This process has high yields and only produces water as a byproduct.

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. 

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.

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.

The Renewable Energy Group uses a genetically engineered microbial synthesis method to produce different diesel types from biomass, a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based diesel. Their product is a proprietary fuel that combines renewable diesel and biodiesel. More specifically, their product combines EnDura Fuels™, VelociD™ and PuriD™. Their novel fuel provides excellent lubricity, high Cetane, and low Cloud Point for superior performance. This fuel also has much lower carbon intensity scores than petroleum diesel.