![Laboratory bottles arranged side by side: the initial solution is transparent and slightly yellowish, the carbohydrate solution is yellow-brownish, the process water is almost black, and the purified HMF is dark brown.](/application/files/thumbnails/bp_medium_thumbnail/2216/2936/1754/bioraffinerie-loesungen.jpg)
Great potential for biological residues
Huge amounts of waste are produced both during food production and by consumers. The Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources group at the University of Hohenheim’s Institute of Agricultural Engineering has developed a process to convert this biomass into hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), the highly potent basic chemical that is used to produce plastics.