Biomass Characterization Capabilities
A researcher uses an Atomic Force Microscope to image enzymes used in biochemical conversion.
Through biomass characterization, NREL develops, refines, and validates rapid and cost-effective methods to determine the chemical composition of biomass samples before and after pretreatment, as well as during bioconversion processing.
Detailed and accurate characterization of biomass feedstocks, intermediates, and products is a necessity for any biomass-to-biofuels conversion. Understanding how the individual biomass components and reaction products interact at each stage in the process is important for researchers.
With a large inventory of standard biomass samples as reference materials, NREL maintains a biomass feedstock composition and property database with the chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of various biomass feedstock materials.
NREL's biomass characterization capabilities include:
Developing standard laboratory analytical procedures
NREL wrote most of the standard biomass laboratory analytical procedures for characterization that are used throughout the research community. At NREL, we develop new methods and tools to understand more about chemical composition of raw biomass feedstocks and the solid, liquid, and slurry samples produced during conversion.Performing real-time biomass analysis
NREL combines multivariate analysis with near-infrared spectroscopy to provide real-time biomass analysis. Using this rapid analysis technique, researchers can analyze a wide range of physical and chemical characteristics of raw and processed biomass within minutes instead of days.Investigating structural changes
Researchers investigate structural changes in biomass from the plant tissue to the macromolecular scale using established and advanced imaging tools in the Biomass Surface Characterization Laboratory. NREL has developed methods to visualize the deconstruction of plant cell walls during biomass conversion. This provides an understanding, for example, of the behavior of lignin during the pretreatment process or of the interactions between enzymes and the biomass cell wall.
Learn about biomass characterization projects and the Biomass Compositional Analysis Laboratory.
