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ORNL study uses neutron scattering, supercomputing to demystify forces at play in biofuel production
Researchers studying more effective ways to convert woody plant matter into biofuels at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have identified fundamental forces that change plant structures during pretreatment processes used in the
Gas and oil deposits in shale have no place to hide from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technique that provides an inside look at pores and reveals structural information potentially vital to the nation’s energy needs.
The generation of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass holds great promise for renewable and clean energy production. However, this type of biomass is a complex, composite biological material that shows significant recalcitrance to enzymatic breakdown into sugars that can be used for fermentation, currently making it cost-ineffective as an ethanol source. The present research provides insight into the consequences of dilute acid pretreatment of biomass through direct observation by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) of structural features in cellulose extracted from switchgrass over length scales from 10 to 6000 Å.