Abstract
BIOBASED CHEMICAL production is taking a step forward with the announcement of two new projects—both involving venture-capital-backed start-ups—to make chemicals out of nonfood cellulosic biomass. Cobalt Technologies is joining with the process development firm American Process to build a demonstration-scale n -butyl alcohol plant in Alpena, Mich. Genomatica, meanwhile, has formed a partnership with the Italian plastics maker Mossi & Ghisolfi to make 1,4-butanediol in Italy. High-volume industrial chemicals including lactic acid, propanediol, and citric acid are already manufactured by fermenting sugars derived from sugarcane or corn, and several companies are pursuing a new generation of sugar-based chemicals such as isobutyl alcohol, succinic acid, and acrylic acid. To date, though, development of chemicals from cellulosic feedstocks has lagged. Cobalt plans to jump-start the process by piggy-backing on a cellulosic ethanol project that American Process has already begun. Using $22 million in grants fro...
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