QUT’s biorefinery research aims to develop sustainable and profitable technologies for the conversion of biomass into a spectrum of bio-based products (fuels, chemicals, and advanced materials ).
QUT’s capabilities
(1) biomass pretreatment and fractionation
(2) enzyme and fermentation technology
(3) design of catalysts
(4) process scale-up and pilot-scale demonstration
(5) techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis
QUT has demonstrated their capabilities by producing (bio)fuels (bioethanol, biogas, hydrocarbon fuels, etc.), building block chemicals (5 hydroxymethyl furfural, 5-chloromethyl furfural, 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, etc) and biomass-based materials and additives (lignin-based polymers, biocomposites, functional carbon, nanocellulose, biosilica, etc.) for various applications. QUT’s biorefinery research provides strong support to the development of a biomass-based new manufacturing industry and a low-carbon economy in Australia and globally.