Revolutionizing Biofuel Production: Scientists Develop Innovative Method to Convert Corn Waste into Affordable Sugar

Researchers at Washington State University have made a breakthrough in the production of sugar from corn stalks and other agricultural waste, paving the way for sustainable biofuel production.

Recently published in Bioresource Technology, the study details a new experimental process using ammonium sulfite-based alkali salts to convert corn stover—agricultural residues like corn stalks and husks—into affordable sugar for biofuel and bioproduct manufacturing, enhancing the economic viability of the process.

“Affordable sugar is crucial for the commercial success of technologies that utilize renewable biomass to produce fuels and other valuable products,” stated Bin Yang, a professor at WSU’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering and one of the study’s lead scientists.

Collaborating with researchers from the University of Connecticut, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the USDA Forest Products Lab in Madison, Wisconsin, and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, the team aimed to find a cost-effective method to efficiently convert cellulosic biomass—residual materials from corn and other sturdy, lignin- and cellulose-rich crops—into sugar.

Despite the abundance and affordability of biomass, its high processing costs due to the complex structure of molecules like cellulose and lignin pose a significant challenge.

To fully utilize the potential of biomass as an energy and chemical source, the development of new pretreatment technologies capable of breaking down these complex polymers to generate cost-effective sugars is essential.

The researchers outlined a process in which corn stover is pretreated with potassium hydroxide and ammonium sulfite at mild temperatures. This treatment enables enzymes to break down cellulosic polymers into sugar, which can then be fermented into biofuels and bioproducts without requiring chemical recovery.

The team calculated that, through the use or sale of byproducts, the resulting sugar could be priced as low as 28 cents per pound, making it competitive with inexpensive imported sugar.

“This patented process generates high-quality fermentable sugar for biorefineries—facilities that convert plant matter into fuel—as well as fertilizer that can replenish soil nutrients for farmers,” hypothesized Yang. “There is no waste generated in this process.”