Blue Biofuels Inc (BIOF)

[Magmar]

Patented technology versus media hype.

Still on the fence? I am sure most are familiar with what ALLM says in their videos and what their process flow diagram shows how the technology works from start to finish;

http://www.alliancebioe.com/technology/cts-process/

Compare that side by side with the 8 images attached to the registered patent link for this CTS technology;

http://www.google.com/patents/US8062428

Now, I am no patent expert, but don't you essentially have to stick to the process as it is outlined to have a legal case if someone stole your stuff? That would be the basis of any argument, correct? Reason I mention it is because there are 2 significant steps not listed on their website flow diagram compared to the patent image #1; after agitation there appears to be a "rinse" step and "drying" step for recycled material.

The rinse step: what is being used for that? water? Water costs money, it's a raw material to the process. Where does the water go? Be careful sending it back to the agitator (see below). If it isn't water, then it's another chemical, which is additional cost, plus a waste when spent / used up.

The drying step: Why would you need to dry this reusable, wet material? Should be ready to go, just add solid catalyst. What are you using to dry it, steam (cost!)? flame heat burners (fuel cost?)? If you read the detailed description of the process about half way down the patent, you will see that the amount of water in the cellulosic material and catalyst is very important to optimize yield, that's why it is dried. Too much water and it isn't efficient, it will have an adverse effect on the solubility of the material to maximize sugar yield and most likely have to run it through the agitator again. Not enough and you need to add water - cost. The patent even states that water ratio (45% moisture max) is critical to keeping costs down.

On their website ALLM shows the slurry exits the flotation equipment and then to a centrifuge. A centrifuge is designed to spin really fast to separate the suspended solids from the liquid in this solution. I see a box for the C5-C6 sugar stream, but not one for the solids that will be at the bottom. Are the solids a waste?

Figure 2 of patent: Kaolin would be the obvious choice for raw material / catalyst based on this charts efficiency listing for processing biomass. Probably cheap too, but hope there is a supplier nearby as shipping costs for Kaolin would be expensive the farther away the supplier is. The question I have here is; does this data in figure 2 reflect one time batch processing through the agitator or was it run through a second time and tested? Again, if you read through the patent description, it takes 2 passes almost every time to increase sugar yields. What I also notice is that the ratio of catalyst to biomass is anywhere from half and half to 3 parts biomass / 1 part catalyst. Not sure how much palm waste takes, but if ALLM does 250 tons a day, that is 83 - 125 tons of raw material / day (if the don't re-use any after agitation step). BTW, what happens to the rest of the solids from the agitator if it doesn't get put back into the agitator...is it waste?

almost done...

Figure 3 (very important); This chart shows you the efficiency (% solubization) of each dry catalyst used in the process versus time. Kaolin the clear winner, but notice how long it takes to reach maximum efficiency...3 hours! and in some cases more. Not sure what biomass they tested on. However, high sugar yield is maximized the longer it stays and mixes in the agitator with the catalyst. I seem to recall ALLM stating in the press releases that it took only minutes? This is a killer...far longer than what's being told. Figure 6 & 8 supports this. It shows that 50% of the cellulose material must stay in the shaker mill for at least 2 hours to reach maximum solubilzation. This corroborates their claim that the other 50% would then likely be put back through (more time, more cost). I don't see the evidence where they said they could make sugars in minutes - (fig 8). What I do see is that sugars start to form at 1.5 hours and take up to 4.5 hours.
Unless I misinterpret this, but this is what Fig 8 of the patent says!

FIG. 8 shows the progression of the solubilization of cellulose and the soluble sugars produced over time on a thin-layer chromatography plate during a process in accordance with the present invention.

and finally..aren't there steel ball bearings used in the milling process? I could have sworn I saw them referenced somewhere, maybe not. If so, where did they go in this process flow? Where in the process do you take them out?

This patent is the basis of their technology and should match up to their website process flow diagram.

Sorry I beat you to this LTE... I know that is what you would have said anyway since we are supposedly one and the same. ;.)