Integral utilization of biomasses using sub/supercritical fluids: environmental, energetic and economic assessment of technological scenarios

Abstract

Experts agree that future biorefineries should focus on the production of high value products prior to biofuels and/or energy production. In view of this setting and considering the remaining obstacles for the establishment of a sugarcane biorefinery, the sub/supercritical technology stands out. As such technology demands high energy consumption, strategies for its reduction has to be developed in addition to the experimental optimization. This project proposes to contribute to this scientific and technologic demand, comparing the sub/supercritical technology with other potential technologies at the sugarcane biorefinery. This project will also evaluate different technology scenarios developed mainly in LASEFI/DEA/FEA/UNICAMP aiming at the integral use of different biomasses using sub/supercritical fluids at all stages. In this regard, future biorefineries based on the sequential obtaining of secondary metabolites, using supercritical ethanol and CO2, with subsequent fractionation of the biomass using subcritical water and production of monosaccharides from cellulose-rich solid waste using supercritical water, will be evaluated. The processes will be simulated using the software ASPEN PLUS and/or VALI and laboratory experiments will be developed when needed. Finally, it will be evaluated the integration of the sugarcane and/or microalgae biorefinery to the studied biorefineries, aiming at energy efficiency by Pinch analysis. The processes will be analyzed regarding the economic and environmental impact, and multi-objective optimization can performed using the software OSMOSE.