Natural compounds can function as petroleum-based substitutes

14. February 2023

Elaine is aiming to convert biomass into usable chemicals. In her Post-doctoral research she converts, extracts, hydrolyses and depolymerizes natural biopolymers, such as cellulose and lignin with water to capture building block monomers and convert them to biobased, value-added products. Cellulose can be transformed to fermentable sugars, such as glucose and fructose. From other compounds fatty acids can be retrieved to be used for bioplastics or the retrieval of bio ethanol.

The platform molecules shall be used as substitute for petroleum-based molecules. A very special technique for making these compounds available, without using organic chemicals, is applied. Elaine uses water-based extraction methods by manipulating the properties of water to supercritical conditions as increasing the boiling point to extract the biopolymers by keeping the natural structure that would have been destroyed when using chemicals. The working group acts in close cooperation with industry partners.

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Learn more about the difficult way of extracting usable compounds by only using water.

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Elaine came from the Philippines to conduct her research in Spain many years ago. She dedicates her live to finding new ways of extracting valuable compounds from natural sources by applying very high pressure and manipulating water.

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Natural compounds can function as petroleum-based substitutes