Contact me

Got a question or comment. Contact me at (515) 294-7136 or e-mail thkimiastate.edu

Research

Dr. Kim’s main research interests are in the bioconversion of biomass, such as crops, agricultural residues, and cellulosic wastes, for the production of fuels and chemicals.

---

Pretreatment of biomass.
Dr. Kim’s recent research includes the development of a novel pretreatment of biomass such as Soaking in Aqueous Ammonia (SAA or ammonia steeping), Soaking in Ethanol and Aqueous Ammonia (SEAA), and Low-liquid Ammonia Recycle Percolation (ARP). The objective of these pretreatment methods is to remove the inhibitory such as lignin from lignocellulosic biomass and make the cellulosic structure amenable to the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction.

---

Integrated bioconversion process for lignocellulosic biomass
The objective of this research is the development of integrated pretreatment, enzyme hydrolysis and fermentation process to utilize both hexoses and pentoses in the lignocellulosic biomass effectively. This research focuses on achieving high ethanol yield and concentrations using novel fermentation process using yeasts.

---

Grain ethanol
Dr. Kim developed the consolidated conversion process of hulled grains (ex. barley etc.) into fermentable sugars using chemo-thermo-enzymatic (CTE) treatment. This one step conversion process using CTE treatment can resolve several problems in conventional barley ethanol process. The intention f this research is to convert both lignocellulose and starch in the hulled grains into ethanol simultaneously without any hull separation and grinding steps.

---

Fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass
The objective of this research is to fractionate the lignocellulosic biomass into three components, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Each component separated by this unique and economically viable multi-stage fractionation process using hot water/dilute acid and ammonia can be “platform intermediates” as foundation of biorefinery.

---

Bioethanol production from lignocellulosic materials

Current research is to develop an efficient integrated bioconversion process for lignocellulosic materials (ex. switch grass and corn stover) to ethanol. This very unique and economically viable process includes pretreatment, enzyme hydrolysis, and modified fermentation. This research focus on achieving high ethanol yield and concentrations using novel fermentation process that would not only be appropriate but add efficiency and productivity to xylan (pentosan)-rich pretreated lignocellulosic materials.

His recent research include development of a novel pretreatment/delignification of biomass by soaking in aqueous ammonia (SAA) for enzymatic saccharification and simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation, two-stage fractionation of biomass, and ammonia recycle percolation (ARP).

---

Consolidated conversion of hulled grains into fermentable intermediaries

Processing of hulled grains (ex. barley etc.) into fermentable sugars using chemo-thermo-enzymatic (CTE) treatment. This one step conversion process using CTE treatment can resolve several problems in conventional barley ethanol process. The intention of this research is to convert both lignocellulose and starch in the hulled grains into ethanol simultaneously without any hull separation and grinding steps.

---

Lowering the cost of fuel ethanol production from corn

Typically, this involves improvement of dry milling processes and evaluation of effectiveness in terms of fermentation efficiency and economics.

---

---

---