Contact: Douglas M. Main
dmain@purdue.edu
765-496-2050
Purdue University

Magnified Image of Cornstalk Particle

Caption: A magnified image of a cornstalk particle shows the many tiny pores that pretreatment -- a phase of the ethanol production process -- opens up. These pores create more surface area for subsequent reactions to take place and give enzymes better access to cellulose, the source for cellulosic ethanol. Researchers said this information could help in establishing an economic method for industrial production of cellulosic ethanol.

Credit: Purdue University photo/Meijuan Zeng

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