Sugar Platform
The largest single component of cellulosic biomass is the cellulose portion of the plant. Cellulase enzymes are used to convert cellulose into sugars, a process known as enzymatic hydrolysis. Both xylose (a 5-carbon sugar) and glucose (a 6-carbon sugar) can be produced from cellulosic biomass in the PureVision process. These bio-sugars are the raw materials to make chemicals, consumer products and industrial products such as ethanol from biomass.A primary deterrent for economically converting cellulosic feedstocks into sugars and ethanol in a biorefinery has been the high cost of enzymes. Enzymes are used to transform cellulose into sugars (enzymatic hydrolysis). Over the past several years, government-funded and private sector initiatives have been directed at producing lower-cost cellulase enzymes. The PureVision technology produces a purified cellulose product that minimizes the amount of cellulase enzymes needed for producing glucose, thereby lowering the overall costs of manufacturing ethanol and other commodities in biorefineries.