Auburn University researchers have patented a new process for producing ethanol from paper ill waste materials through biological conversion.
With research funded by the Masada Resource group, the new conversion process can produce an estimated 2.5 million gallons of ethanol a year from one paper mill.
The waste product was referred to as sludge by Dr. Yoon Y Lee, a researcher on the project.
"The difficult part is that we have to make sugars out of the sludge," Lee said.
The sludge is composed of cellulose and hemicellulose. Lee said these polymers needed to be broken down for conversion into ethanol.
Using an enzyme as a catalyst, the polymers are converted into simple sugars, Lee said.
The simple sugars are then digested by yeast.
"It's just a conventional baker's yeast," Lee said.
The byproduct of the microorganism's digestion is ethanol.
"The point is that we are utilizing the waste material," Lee said.
He added that right now the sludge is being discarded in landfills, and mills are beginning to run out of space for their waste.
While Lee and his fellow researchers pursue the technical end of this technology, Auburn University must transfer the knowledge to private businesses which can use it in a practical manner.
That job belongs to Dr. John Weete, assistant vice president for research for technology transfer.
After researchers make new scientific discoveries on campus, Weete springs into action.
"Often that research leads to something that is an important discovery that may have value to the public. We call that an intellectual property," Weete said.
Research findings are disclosed to the office of technology transfer, and the mission of the office is to bring the knowledge into the private sector, Weete said.
"Masada and other companies represent a way for us to commercialize the discoveries that are made by our faculty and students and to get out to the public good," Weete said. "One of the ways we do that is to develop license agreements with the private sector."
In a press release from Auburn University, Donald Watkins, CEO of Masada Resource Group, said his company was excited about the new technologies.
"They fit in perfectly with our goals of converting existing waste streams into renewable energy sources," Watkins said.
Lee was also interested in the potential of his current work.
"We would like to do some more research and make it into an industrial practice, so this will be eventually a supplementary unit in a paper mill," Lee said.
There are 20 paper mills in Alabama and all of their waste streams could be utilized in the conversion process, Lee said. Combined, these mills would produce 50 million gallons of ethanol each year.
While each discovery at the university may hold the potential for social and economic rewards, Weete cautioned that a partner for new research is not always a sure thing.
"A lot of it depends on the economy, and there has to be the right fit between the technology we have and the company," Weete said. "It has to be part of their business strategy, and they need to be able to make a profit off of it."
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