Events
2nd MUSC Meeting
16th February 2012
Innovation Centre, York Science Park
Microwave-enhanced chemistry and the alternative uses of microwave heating have been
growing in recent years. York is world-leading in its biorefinery research with the Green
Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE), the Centre for Novel Agricultural Crops (CNAP) and FERA all enjoying international reputations in the application of plant biology, green (bio)chemical technologies and agronomy to the valorization of non-food biomass to make
chemicals, fuels and materials.
Microwave processes are commercially proven and energy-efficient in areas such as waste treatment, and are known to promote rapid chemical reactions but their application to biomass conversion has been little studied. The GCCE has shown that through specific interactions, microwaves can rapidly and selectively decompose large volume biomasses including food waste, agricultural by-products and forestry residues. We can tune the microwave process to between solid and liquid fuels, sugars and chemicals products. This meeting coincides with the opening of the first phase of the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) on the York Science Park, the biorefinery R+D facility will be unique to the UK and will showcase state-of-the-art microwave-biomass processors and other other clean chemical and white biotechnology with open-access to academic and industrial collaborators. The facility aims to bridge the current “proof of principle” and scale-up gap which exists for novel technologies by allowing these technologies to be demonstrated
and integrated without capital risk from the end user.
The programme for the day will consist of presentations, poster sessions and a tour of the new Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC). Speakers will include industrial, manufacturers, end users and academic experts.
For more information, e-mail Mark Gronnow at mark.gronnow@york.ac.uk or call 01904 324456.
