TECHNOLOGY & EXPERTISE
Bioprocessing
American BioRubber has built an extensive portfolio of crop processing methods, facility and equipment designs, extraction and refinement techniques for guayule and other crops. We have pioneered a robust series of clean-tech rubber and resin extraction methods able to be deployed at laboratory scale to over 150,000 metric tons.
Water-Based Extraction
Our patented water-based processes are state of the art in clean-tech extraction using water to select and cleanly remove the liquid rubber phase (latex) from the guayule stem, then purifies the extract using dynamic high-speed centrifuge filtration. This American BioRubber first, is also suitable for extraction of other density-rich botanicals, oils, and hydrocarbon-based plant content.
The latest evolution in clean-tech from American BioRubber is our Gen-6 water-based processing design capable of residual fiber processing and preparation for engineered wood products, resin collection and refinement with a system-wide water treatment and recycling module.
Solvent-Based Extraction
As the needs of our global customers changed, American BioRubber kept pace with the introduction of our advanced multi-stream solvent-based processing technology. Utilizing a fully recycled complex of solvents to attract and target specific components efficiently, rubber and resin are cleanly extracted into separate flows during a single or multi-stage process, depending on the client’s material production requirements.
The American BioRubber solvent process can extract both the liquid phase and solid phase rubber components without attracting and contamination from resin, ensuring a clean first pass. Once the rubber components are removed, the process fully extracts all resin components and extremely low molecular weight polymer tailings. The final stages of extraction focus on material purification, spent fiber processing and extracted moisture inclusion to the steam stripping systems.
American BioRubber has designed, engineered and constructed multiple processing facilities ranging in size from 30 metric ton pilot plants to 5,000 metric ton demonstration centers, with approved engineering designs for commercial scale outputs ranging from 25,000 to 175,000 metric ton, each capable of onsite expansion to include multi-component production modules, ensuring 100% of crop input is utilized, efficiently processed and valorized.
Bioprocessing Facilities
American BioRubber has designed, engineered and constructed multiple processing facilities ranging in size from 30 metric ton pilot plants to 5,000 metric ton demonstration centers, with approved engineering designs for commercial scale outputs ranging from 25,000 to 175,000 metric ton, each capable of onsite expansion to include multi-component production modules, ensuring 100% of crop input is utilized, efficiently processed and valorized.
Additional bioprocessing modules can be included for a fully integrated operation and include:
Solid to liquid process to convert solidified rubber to a high quality, narrow molecular weight band latex emulsion.
Resin fractionation and distillation to separate and select resin density types most valuable to the marketplace.
Fiber processing, treatment and prep operations center for engineered wood production such as particleboard, molded composites and fuel pellets, or processing for chemical feedstock production such as cellulosic ethanol, alcohols, syn-gas and other crude oil and/or food-based feedstock replacements.
Co-generation modules which utilized residual fiber to generate power and steam to fully offset operational costs. Many clients redirect electrical power back to the utility’s grid during non-peak load periods, allowing for alternative income flows, offsets or optional credits.
For customers seeking a smaller, trial sized entry into guayule processing, American BioRubber offers engineered lab scale (bench top) and a larger-than-lab (LTL) scale footprint suitable for a small warehouse using our water or solvent technology.
Design, Engineering and Project Management
For government, NGOs, universities and private companies interested in entering the biobased material sector, American BioRubber provides technical, operational and financial consulting on all aspects of guayule (and other crops) processing: from facility design, equipment selection, process layout, equipment setting, test and commissioning to operator training, written procedures, in-process test and validation, labor development, inventory stores, safety, operational strategies for either greenfield or remodeling sites.
American BioRubber can work with your engineering teams, construction personnel and general contractors and function as project managers from drawing board to commissioning.
Capital and Operational Financials
Calculating the full scope of a new investment venture can be daunting. Understanding capital costs for land development, building and construction, equipment and infrastructure is ordinarily straightforward, especially when you work with a company that pioneered the industry. Operational costs can be far more complicated and can change dramatically depending on the products being produced.
Technical Reviews
Getting an independent opinion is critical to building a successful guayule program. American BioRubber with its decades of pioneering experience and technical expertise in guayule is the industry’s preeminent source for sound information.
We will review your overall process, equipment selection, layout and instrumentation, material flow, mass balances, rates, speeds and volumes are correct, effective and efficient, ensuring the bioprocessing stage of your operation is optimal. We review labor loading, standards and protocols as well as training materials for equipment operations, process and safety, including operational budgets.