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Science 11 February 1983:
Vol. 219. no. 4585, pp. 733 - 740
DOI: 10.1126/science.219.4585.733
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Articles

Production of Feedstock Chemicals

T. K. Ng 1, R. M. Busche 2, C. C. McDonald 3, and R. W. F. Hardy 4

1 Research biologist in the Central Research and Development Department, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Delaware 19898
2 Planning consultant in the Central Research and Development Department, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Delaware 19898
3 Research manager in the Central Research and Development Department, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Delaware 19898
4 Director of life sciences in the Central Research and Development Department, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Delaware 19898

Renewable raw materials may be converted by biological means to feedstocks for the chemical industry. Glucose from cornstarch is the current choice as a substrate, although advances may enable the use of less expensive lignocellulosic materals. The production of oxychemicals and their derivatives from renewable resources could amount to about 100 billion pounds annually, or about half of the U.S. production of organic chemicals. Ethanol produced by fermentation is now cost-competitive with industral ethanol produced from fossil fuel. Biological routes to other oxychemicals exist and are expected to be important in the future. Several product recovery methods may be used, but new energy-conserving methods will be needed to make the engineering-biology combinations economical.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Fuel Ethanol from Cellulosic Biomass.
L. R. LYND, J. H. CUSHMAN, R. J. NICHOLS, and C. E. WYMAN (1991)
Science 251, 1318-1323
   Abstract »    PDF »
Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing.
D. Knorr and A. J. Sinskey (1985)
Science 229, 1224-1229
   Abstract »    PDF »
Single-carbon chemistry of acetogenic and methanogenic bacteria.
J. Zeikus, R Kerby, and J. Krzycki (1985)
Science 227, 1167-1173
   Abstract »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)