Anellotech’s MinFree pretreatment technology reduces mineral content of loblolly pine biomass
Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.
Anellotech
has just announced that its MinFree™ technology has been demonstrated at a 20 tons/day
scale. This proprietary biomass pretreatment process can significantly reduce
mineral (ash) content of wood and other biomasses.
Press release: “Anellotech’s
New Biomass Pre-Treatment Technology to Remove Minerals Successfully
Demonstrated at 20 Metric Tons/Day Scale”, 4/7/2019.
Related post: “Anellotech
is planning the construction of its first commercial plant for the production
of bio-aromatics”, 17/5/2019.
Figure 1. Anellotech’s MinFree pretreatment
technology reduces mineral content of loblolly pine biomass
Sustained trials using MinFree-treated loblolly
pine at Anellotech’s TCat-8® pilot plant confirm the effectiveness of the
process in dramatically extending catalyst life, making Anellotech’s Bio-TCat
conversion technology increasingly efficient and competitive compared to
fossil-sourced aromatics production.
MinFree™ is expected to provide similar results
with other woody biomass (like eucalyptus and hard woods) and agricultural
residues (like cotton straw, sugarcane bagasse and corn stover). Anellotech is
in discussions with feedstock suppliers and other participants in the supply
chain to select the next feedstock for development and commercialization with
the MinFree™ process.
MinFree™ also has application in the bioenergy sector.
The technology removes high levels of mineral elements from agricultural
residues which could cause fouling, erosion and corrosion. For example, a mineral-reduced
feedstock can improve the efficiency, on-stream time and equipment life for
pellet wood-fed biomass to energy plants.