Molecular sponge absorbs toxins, produces biofuel

The Western Producer
Posted May. 29th, 2012 by William DeKay


Lee Wilson thinks he has found a cost effective way to help produce biofuel using wheat straw.


In a lab at the University of Saskatchewan, the chemist and his team of graduate students have developed various types of what Wilson terms “molecular sponges.” 


Some sponges are designed to take specific impurities out of water, such as pesticides. Others can remove toxins from water used in the oilsands.


Still another sponge separates ethanol and water to make cellulosic ethanol.


“It’s a game changer for parts of the agro economy,” he said.


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Feedstox™ Purchases State-of-the-Art Harvesting Equipment

PR Web

Balers, combines to dramatically reduce biomass harvesting costs.

Wichita, KS (PRWEB) May 20, 2012

Feedstox™ (a KABB company*) has purchased seven new pieces of agricultural equipment as part of the nation's most advanced harvesting fleet.

The equipment consists of two Challenger combine-baler combination units and five Challenger LB34BXD high-density pull-behind balers manufactured by AGCO Corporation.

The machinery will be used to harvest biomass materials such as corn, wheat, corn stalks, wheat straw, switchgrass and miscanthus. KABB plans to lease the equipment to farmers, contractors and other parties involved in the harvesting of biomass materials.

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USDA Expands Efforts to Develop Crop Insurance For Biofuels Producers

Biofuels Journal
Date Posted: February 25, 2011

Washington—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Feb. 25 that USDA will soon seek proposals to study the feasibility of providing crop insurance to producers of biofuel feedstocks, including corn stover, straw and woody biomass.

These feasibility studies, funded by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) will join research efforts already underway for energy cane, switchgrass and camelina.

"Providing additional risk management tools for American farmers to produce advanced biofuels crops is an important step toward developing a thriving biofuels industry and reducing our dependence on foreign oil," said Vilsack.

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Who Owns Biomass - Tenant or Landowner?

Dakota Farmer

Who owns the biomass? NDSU economists are asking that question as they study the feasibility of producing wheat straw and other crop residues for the proposed Spiritwood, N.D., biofuels plant.

Farmers who rent land argue that biomass is theirs, like the grain they produce on cash-rented land, says Cole Gustafson, NDSU Extension biofuels economist.

But landowners can argue they own the biomass. Stalks and straw are usually left on the land after the grain is removed. They protect the soil from wind erosion and, as they decompose, build organic matter and soil health

"North Dakota law states that tenants own production that accrues over the rental period, which broadly includes crop residues," says David Saxowsky, an NDSU agricultural attorney. "This line of reasoning is consistent with past practices which allow tenants to remove straw for feed and bedding. A specific law supporting this view is North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) 47-16-04. It says that in the absence of any agreement to the contrary between the lessor and the lessee, the products received from real property during the term of a lease belong to the lessee."

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Cellulosic Ethanol: Expanding Options, Identifying Obstacles

USDA, ARS
By Ann Perry
April 9, 2010

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are figuring out how to turn wheat straw into ethanol “gold,” and learning more about the bacteria that can “infect” ethanol plants and interfere with fuel production.

At the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, Ill., ARS chemist Badal Saha conducted a 5-year study that examined whether wheat straw—a crop residue left over after the grain has been harvested—could have commercial potential for cellulosic ethanol production.

Saha found he could access and ferment almost all the plant sugars in the biofeedstock when it was pretreated with alkaline peroxide and then broken down by enzymes. This process released even hard-to-reach sugars in plant cell walls, which significantly boosted the overall ethanol output to around 93 gallons per ton of wheat straw.

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