Biorefinery Processes

Specific mission

Valorisation of lignocellulosic or animal biomass for the production of fuels or higher-added value chemical products

Main research topics

• Aqueous Phase Reforming of aqueous solutions of organic compounds for the production of renewable H2
• Autothermal reforming of biogas for the production of H2
• Valorisation of lignin through oxidative and non-oxidative catalytic processes
• Biological and enzymatic methods for the conversion of lignocellulosic waste
• Selective hydrogenation of hexose and pentose sugars
• Conversion of animal and vegetable fats into fuel
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Main partnerships

• Prof. Dimosthenis Trimis, KIT, Germany
• Prof. Barbara Bonelli, DISAT, Politecnico di Torino
• Prof. Bernardo Ruggeri, DISAT, Politecnico di Torino
• Prof. Gabriele Centi - Università di Messina
• Prof. Francesco Di Renzo - CNRS Montpellier

Projects and publications

• Selected funded research projects
  • INNOVATIVE SYSTEM INTEGRATION TO BOOST BIOMETHANE PRODUCTION WHILE MANAGING RENEWABLES INTERMITTENCY (METHAREN)
    BENSAID SAMIR
    2022 - 2027 (Current)
  • STRATEGIES FOR THE ADVANCED HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION OF RECALCITRANT BIORESOURCES TO RENEWABLE FUEL (REFUEL)
    PIRONE RAFFAELE
    2023 - 2025 (Current)
  • NEST - NETWORK 4 ENERGY SUSTAINABLE TRANSITION - SPOKE 3
    BENSAID SAMIR
    2022 - 2025 (Current)
  • SMART OIL
    FINO DEBORA
    2014 - 2015 (Completed)
• Selected recent publications
  2020

  1. Aqueous phase reforming of the residual waters derived from lignin-rich hydrothermal liquefaction: investigation of representative organic compounds and actual biorefinery streams
     Article
     

     Pipitone, G.; Zoppi, G.; Bocchini, S.; Rizzo, A. M.; Chiaramonti, D.; Pirone, R.; Bensaid, S.
     CATALYSIS TODAY
     Elsevier B.V.
     Vol.345 pp.14 (pp.237-250) ISSN:0920-5861 DOI:10.1016/j.cattod.2019.09.040

  2. Aqueous phase reforming of sugar-based biorefinery streams: from the simplicity of model compounds to the complexity of real feeds
     Article
     

     Pipitone, G.; Zoppi, G.; Frattini, A.; Bocchini, S.; Pirone, R.; Bensaid, S.
     CATALYSIS TODAY
     Elsevier B.V.
     Vol.345 pp.13 (pp.267-279) ISSN:0920-5861 DOI:10.1016/j.cattod.2019.09.031

  2019

  1. Towards the sustainable hydrogen production by catalytic conversion of C-laden biorefinery aqueous streams
     Article
     

     Pipitone, Giuseppe; Zoppi, Giulia; Ansaloni, Simone; Bocchini, Sergio; Deorsola, Fabio A.; Pirone, Raffaele; Bensaid, Samir
     CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
     Elsevier B.V.
     pp.17 ISSN:1385-8947 DOI:10.1016/j.cej.2018.12.137

  2016

  1. Wet Air Oxidation of Acetovanillone over LaFeO3 as Catalyst: A Model Reaction for Lignin Valorization
     Article
     

     Ansaloni, Simone; Russo, Nunzio; Pirone, Raffaele
     JOURNAL OF ADVANCED CATALYSIS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
     Cosmos Scholars Publishing House
     Vol.3 pp.14 (pp.49-62) ISSN:2408-9834 DOI:10.15379/2408-9834.2016.03.02.02

Reference laboratories

• Biorefinery Processes Laboratory