United States. Rajesh Shende, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of chemical and biological engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, received a $2.16 million grant from the Department of Energy's Office of Bioenergy Technologies to research and demonstrate cost-effective ways to convert biorefinery waste, such as ethanol plants, in valuable products.
"The Integrated Biorefinery Optimization effort is an excellent example of how the Department of Energy can leverage its resources to help solve real-world problems facing biorefineries," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.
Shende's research will focus on finding efficient ways to convert waste generated by ethanol plants and other biorefineries into useful products. Commodities such as biocarbon, carbon nanofibers, lactic acid and phenol can be obtained from waste generated by facilities that process maize and other plant materials.
Normally, this waste is eroded, but finding cost-effective means to turn it into new products will generate additional revenue for ethanol plants and other biorefineries and help reduce the fuel costs of these facilities.
Shende's research will focus on three objectives: demonstrating how the process of converting waste into value-added products could be integrated into current facilities, estimating the final product returns and revenues that could be generated based on current market value, examining the environmental and economic impact of the processes.
Source: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
