Machine Learning Optimization of Lignin Properties in Green Biorefineries

14 March 2022, Version 2
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

Novel biorefineries could transform lignin, an abundant biopolymer, from byproduct waste to high-value products for a sustainable society. Here we report the optimization of the AquaSolv omni biorefinery for lignin via Bayesian optimization, a machine learning framework for sample-efficient and guided data collection. This tool allows us to relate the biorefinery conditions like hydrothermal pretreatment reaction severity and temperature with multiple experimental outputs such as lignin structural features characterized using 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. By applying a Pareto front analysis to our models, we can find the processing conditions that simultaneously optimize the lignin yield and the amount of \bof{} linkages for the depolymerization of lignin into platform chemicals. Our study demonstrates the potential of machine learning to accelerate the development of sustainable chemical processing techniques for targeted applications and products.

Keywords

lignin
biorefinery
machine learning
Bayesian Optimization

Supplementary materials

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Title
Supporting Information: Machine Learning Optimization of Lignin Properties in Green Biorefineries
Description
The supporting information contains a more technical introduction to BO and the concept of Pareto optimality. We also provide complementary results for the acquisition strategy comparisons and the model validation.
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