ZeaChem a step closer to its ethanol goal

Biomass Magazine
April 2010
By Holly Jessen
Posted April 21, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. CST

ZeaChem Inc. has reached another milestone on the way to producing cellulosic ethanol. The Lakewood, Colo., based business announced that it has successfully produced commercial-grade ethyl acetate—the final step necessary in proving its biorefining technology.

Ethyl acetate can be sold to chemical manufacturers or, through hydrogenation, converted into ethanol. Process expert Sulzer Chemtech validated ZeaChem’s esterification reaction process of converting glacial acetic acid into ethyl acetate. “These results demonstrate ZeaChem’s ability to produce another valuable biobased intermediate chemical on the road toward cellulosic ethanol production,” said Jim Imbler, president and CEO of ZeaChem.

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