What We Do
The Opportunity
The Opportunity
The Opportunity
Forest and agricultural wastes are piling up, approaching crisis proportions in some areas. Much of this waste is cellulose-based "biomass". Currently, there are limited solutions for dealing with all this biomass and virtually all of the processes used today release massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Northwest BioSolutions has
Forest and agricultural wastes are piling up, approaching crisis proportions in some areas. Much of this waste is cellulose-based "biomass". Currently, there are limited solutions for dealing with all this biomass and virtually all of the processes used today release massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Northwest BioSolutions has a solution! We turn biomass into valuable carbon products like renewable fuels, biochar, graphenes and activated carbon.
The Products
The Opportunity
The Opportunity
Carbon, the basis for all life on Earth, has been used by humans for ages in various forms. NWB's patented processes produce valuable carbon products from waste biomass.
What We Make
Valuable products from everyday waste.
Our patented processes produce valuable carbon based-products and useful chemicals.
Renewable Diesel Fuel
Renewable diesel and other fuels benefit from generous governmental subsidies.
Graphenes
Graphene is a unique material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms that was discovered in 2004. Single layer graphene is:
- Harder than diamond
- 200x stronger than steel
- 1,000x the current carrying capacity of copper
- 10x more thermally conductive than copper
- Inert in the body
- Corrosion resistant
Unfortunately, single layer graphene is difficult and expensive to produce. NWB’s answer is multi-layer graphene (MLG), which has many of the benefits of single layer graphene without the near-geometric perfection of single layer graphene. NWB will produce multi-thousands of tons per year of MLG cost-effectively.
Activated Carbon
Activated carbon (AC) has a large number of uses that take advantage of its high porosity. Just 5 grams of AC (about a teaspoonful) contains the surface area of a football field. That is more than 57,000 square feet!
These pores are able absorb many substances. Uses include removing pollutants from air and water, decolorizing and purifying alcoholic beverages and food, removing mercury from coal combustion emissions, storing hydrogen and natural gas at safer pressures, extracting gold during gold mining operations, filtering wastewater from nuclear reactors, absorbing fugitive fuel emissions in vehicles and as a catalyst support.
AC is made by heat treating biochar or other carbon-rich substances. The global AC market currently is about 1.5 million tons per year, worth approximately $3.5 billion annually with massive expansion possibilities currently restricted by AC quality and availablity.
Biochar
Biochar has been used for centuries in Brazil and Japan as a soil improver/amendment. It is made by the controlled heating of biomass in the absence of oxygen. It is simple to make and has many beneficial properties.
When added to soil, Its porosity helps the growth of “good” soil microorganisms, retains water in the amended soil and retains water-soluble fertilizers to help control runoff. This has been shown to increase crop yields by at least 10% (especially in acidic soils) and reduce water usage significantly, both important benefits with an increasing population and dwindling fresh water supplies. Adding biochar to soil also results in carbon sequestration as opposed to CO2 emissions from unused biomass left to decay or burn.
With current production of biochar fragmented, inadequate and of inconsistent quality, NWB’s research shows a market poised for take-off.
Meet the Leadership
NWB has a team with the vision, experience and passion to succeed.
Our leadership has decades of diverse, relevant experience. The unique combination of effective technologies and a leadership team with the experience, passion and vision for green processing of waste and alternative energy solutions will propel NWB to the forefront of the biomass-based carbon industry.