National Academies Press: OpenBook
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
×

Biobased Industrial Products

Priorities for Research and Commercialization

Committee on Biobased Industrial Products

Board on Biology

Commission on Life Sciences

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page ii

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS • 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW • Washington, DC 20418

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been prepared with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 92-COOP-2-8321; U.S. Department of Energy under order number DE-A101-93CE 50370; National Renewable Energy Laboratory under agreement number XC-2-11274-01; and National Science Foundation under agreement number BCS-9120391. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Biobased industrial products: priorities for research and
commercialization / Committee on Biobased Industrial Products, Board on
Biology, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-309-05392-7 (casebound)
1. Biotechnology—United States—Forecasting. 2.
Biotechnology—Government policy—United States. I. National Research
Council (U.S.). Committee on Biobased Industrial Products.
TP248.185 .B535 1999
338.4'76606'0973—dc21
                                                                                            99-50917

Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 2000 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page iii

The National Acadamies

National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
×

Page iv

Committee on Biobased Industrial Products

CHARLES J. ARNTZEN, Co-chair, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Inc., Ithaca, New York

BRUCE E. DALE, Co-chair, Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing

ROGER N. BEACHY, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California

JAMES N. BEMILLER, Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

RICHARD R. BURGESS, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison

PAUL GALLAGHER, Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames

RALPH W.F. HARDY, National Agricultural Biotechnology Council, Ithaca, New York

DONALD L. JOHNSON, Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine, Iowa

T. KENT KIRK, Forest Products Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Madison, Wisconsin

GANESH M. KISHORE, Monsanto Agricultural Group, Chesterfield, Missouri

ALEXANDER M. KLIBANOV, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

JOHN PIERCE, DuPont Agricultural Enterprise, Newark, Delaware

JACQUELINE V. SHANKS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas

DANIEL I. C. WANG, Biotechnology Process Engineering Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

JANET WESTPHELING, Genetics Department, University of Georgia, Athens

J. GREGORY ZEIKUS, MBI International, Lansing, Michigan

Consultant

Elizabeth Chornesky

Staff

Mary Jane Letaw, Program Officer

Joseph Zelibor, Project Director to January 31, 1996

Eric Fischer, Study Director to January 5, 1997

Paul Gilman, Study Director to September 30, 1998

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page v

Board on Biology

PAUL BERG, Chair, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.

JOANNA BURGER, Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.J.

MICHAEL T. CLEGG, University of California, Riverside

DAVID EISENBERG, University of California, Los Angeles

DAVID J. GALAS, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Science, Claremont, Calif.

DAVID V. GOEDDEL, Tularik, Inc., San Francisco

ARTURO GOMEZ-POMPA, University of California, Riverside

CORY S. GOODMAN, University of California, Berkeley

CYNTHIA K. KENYON, University of California, San Francisco

BRUCE R. LEVIN, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.

ELLIOT M. MEYEROWITZ, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

ROBERT T. PAINE, University of Washington, Seattle

RONALD R. SEDEROFF, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

ROBERT R. SOKAL, State University of New York, Stony Brook

SHIRLEY M. TILGHMAN, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

RAYMOND L. WHITE, University of Utah, Salt Lake City

Staff

Ralph Dell, Acting Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page vi

Commission on Life Sciences

MICHAEL T. CLEGG, Chair, University of California, Riverside

PAUL BERG, Vice Chair, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.

FREDERICK R. ANDERSON, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, Washington, D.C.

JOHN C. BAILAR III, University of Chicago, Chicago, Il.

JOANNA BURGER, Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.J.

JAMES E. CLEAVER, University of California, San Francisco

DAVID S. EISENBERG, UCLA-DOE Laboratory of Structural Biology and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles

JOHN L. EMMERSON, Eli Lilly and Co. (ret.), Indianapolis, In.

NEAL L. FIRST, University of Wisconsin, Madison

DAVID J. GALAS, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Science, Claremont, Calif.

DAVID V. GOEDDEL, Tularik, Inc., South San Francisco, Calif.

ARTURO GOMEZ-POMPA, University of California, Riverside

COREY S. GOODMAN, University of California, Berkeley

JON W. GORDON, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, N.Y.

DAVID G. HOEL, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston

BARBARA S. HULKA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

CYNTHIA J. KENYON, University of California, San Francisco

BRUCE R. LEVIN, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.

DAVID M. LIVINGSTON, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass.

DONALD R. MATTISON, March of Dimes, White Plains, N.Y.

ELLIOT M. MEYEROWITZ, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

ROBERT T. PAINE, University of Washington, Seattle

RONALD R. SEDEROFF, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

ROBERT R. SOKAL, State University of New York, Stony Brook

CHARLES F. STEVENS, M.D., The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif.

SHIRLEY M. TILGHMAN, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

RAYMOND L. WHITE, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City

Staff

Warren Muir, Executive Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page vii

Acknowledgments

This report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: Margriet Caswell, United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, Washington, D.C.; John S. Chipman, University of Minnesota; Robert E. Connick, retired, University of California, Berkeley; Ronald J. Dinus, retired, University of British Columbia; Raphael Katzen, Consulting Engineer, Bonita Springs, Florida; Scott E. Nichols, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Johnston, Iowa; Christopher R. Somerville, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, California; George T. Tsao, Purdue University; and Charles R. Wilke, retired, University of California, Berkeley.

While the individuals listed above provided constructive comments and suggestions, it must be emphasized that responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page ix

Contents

Executive Summary

1

Raw Material Resource Base

3

Opportunities: Range of Biobased Products

5

Processing Technologies

8

A Vision for the Future

10

Recommendations

11

1
Overview

15

Potential Benefits of Biobased Industrial Products

18

Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act

19

International Markets

19

Environmental Quality

19

Rural Employment

23

Diversification of Petroleum Feedstocks

23

Setting a Course for the Future

24

Report Coverage

25

2
Raw Material Resource Base

26

Silviculture Crops

26

Agricultural Crops

27

Enhancing the Supply of Biomass

29

Waste Materials

29

Conservation Reserve Program

31

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page x

Filling the Raw Material Needs of a Biobased Industry

32

Current Resources

32

Improving Plant Raw Materials

39

Introduction of New Crops

52

Summary

53

3
Range of Biobased Products

55

Commodity Chemicals and Fuels

57

Ethanol

57

Biodiesel

58

Intermediate Chemicals

60

Ethylene

60

Acetic Acid

62

Fatty Acids

62

Specialty Chemicals

62

Enzymes

63

Biobased Materials

65

Bioplastics

66

Soy-based Inks

67

Forest Products

67

Cotton and Other Natural Fibers

68

Targeting Markets

70

Capital Investments

71

A Case Study of Lignocellulose-Ethanol Processing

72

4
Processing Technologies

74

The Biorefinery Concept

75

Existing U.S. Prototypes

75

Comparison of Biorefineries to Petroleum Refineries

79

Lessons from Petroleum Refinery Experience

80

Processes for Converting Raw Materials to Biobased Products

81

Lignocellulose Fractionation Pretreatment: A Key Step

81

Thermal, Chemical, and Mechanical Processes

81

Biological Processes

88

Needed Developments in Processing Technology

95

Upstream Processes

95

Bioprocesses

96

Microbiological Systems

97

Enzymes

98

Downstream Processes

100

Summary

101

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page xi

5
Making the Transition to Biobased Products

103

A Vision for the Future

104

Investments to Achieve the Vision

109

Niche Products

110

Commodity Products

111

Public Investments in Research and Development

111

Federal-State Cooperation

113

Incentives

113

Providing a Supportive Infrastructure

115

Education of the Public

115

Technical Training

115

Information and Databases

116

Research Priorities

117

Biological Research

117

Processing Advances

118

Economic Feasibility

123

Environmental Research

124

Conclusion

124

References

126

Appendix A: Case Study of Lignocellulose-Ethanol Processing

137

Feedstock Supply and Demand

137

Transportation Costs

140

Processing Costs

141

Fuel Efficiency

143

Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

144

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page xii

Tables, Figures, and Boxes

Tables

 

2-1 Estimated Availability of Waste Biomass in the United States

30

2-2 Crops with Potential Uses for Industrial Products

50

3-1 Increase in Worldwide Sales of Biotechnology Products (1983 and 1994)

56

3-2 Hypothetical Production Cost Comparisons for Ethylene

61

3-3 Estimated Capital Requirements for Target Biobased Organic Chemicals Produced from Glucose

72

4-1 Industrial and Food Uses of Corn, 1996 to 1997 Marketing Year

78

4-2 Comparison of Biorefineries to Fossil-Based Refineries

80

5-1 Targets for a National Biobased Industry

105

5-2 Steps to Achieve Targets of a National Biobased Industry: Biobased Liquid Fuels—Production Milestones

106

5-3 Steps to Achieve Targets of a National Biobased Industry: Biobased Organic Chemicals—Production Milestones

107

5-4 Steps to Achieve Targets of a National Biobased Industry: Biobased Materials—Production Milestones

108

A-1 Costs of Corn Stover Harvest in the United States, 1993

139

A-2 Production Cost Estimate for Plant Processing Corn Stover to Ethanol

142

Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Page xiii

Figures

 

1-1 Biobased Products Manufactured Today

16

4-1 Corn Processing and Fermentation Chemicals

76

4-2 Soybean Processing

78

A-1 Corn Stover Supply and Demand Curve

138

Boxes

 

1-1 Converting Biomass to Ethanol

21

2-1 Nature's Nylons

36

2-2 Evaluating Alternative Crop Sources of Petroselenic Acid

38

2-3 Genetic Engineering Methods

40

2-4 Genetic Engineering to Increase Starch Biosynthesis

48

3-1 Plastics from Plants and Microbes

66

3-2 Biopolymers

69

4-1 Softening Wood the Natural Way

89

4-2 The Changing U.S. Role in Worldwide Amino Acid Production

91

4-3 Making Alternative Sweeteners from Corn

93

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Biobased Industrial Products: Priorities for Research and Commercialization. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5295.
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Petroleum-based industrial products have gradually replaced products derived from biological materials. However, biologically based products are making a comeback—because of a threefold increase in farm productivity and new technologies.

Biobased Industrial Products envisions a biobased industrial future, where starch will be used to make biopolymers and vegetable oils will become a routine component in lubricants and detergents.

Biobased Industrial Products overviews the U.S. land resources available for agricultural production, summarizes plant materials currently produced, and describes prospects for increasing varieties and yields.

The committee discusses the concept of the biorefinery and outlines proven and potential thermal, mechanical, and chemical technologies for conversion of natural resources to industrial applications.

The committee also illustrates the developmental dynamics of biobased products through existing examples, as well as products still on the drawing board, and it identifies priorities for research and development.

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