Xyleco

Xyleco is a privately held scientific research and manufacturing company in Wakefield, Massachusetts.[1] Xyleco is developing a process to convert biomass into useful products,[2] including cellulosic ethanol.[3] The board of directors includes Steven Chu and George P. Shultz.[4] Employee reviews of Xyleco are mixed. Some workers are extremely optimistic as the company grows, while other workers find management secretive and manipulative.[5]

Xyleco
FounderMarshall Medoff
HeadquartersWakefield, Massachusetts
Websitehttp://www.xyleco.com

Xyleco's process involves using ionizing radiation from an electron particle accelerator to break apart cellulose molecules.[2] Accelerators are energy-intensive, but treatment times are short.[6]

History

The company was started by Marshall Medoff, an 81-year old without a formal science education. He got his inspiration by spending time at Walden Pond, and studying research papers in a storage facility for 15 years.[2] During that time, he was granted over 300 patents.[7] Several 2002 patents were for plastic-cellulose-fiber composites expected to be stronger than ordinary plastic based on resins and wood fiber.[8] In 2004, Rubbermaid agreed to work with Xyleco to develop a material that would be stronger and cheaper than current materials.[9]

In 2009, Medoff hired his first employee, Craig Masterman, an MIT graduate in chemistry. Using $45 million from investors, they built a testing laboratory in Wakefield, Massachusetts,[2] in March 2015.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Corporate Website". Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  2. Lesley Stahl (January 9, 2019). "Marshall Medoff unveils to 60 Minutes his innovative method of turning plant life into fuel and other useful products". 60 Minutes. CBS. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  3. Xyleco Cellulosic Fuels, Corporte Website https://www.xyleco.com/cellulosic-fuels/
  4. "Board of Directors". Xyleco. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  5. "Xyleco Employee Review". Glassdoor. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  6. Henniges, Ute; Hasani, Merima; Potthast, Antje; Westman, Gunnar; Rosenau, Thomas (2013). "Electron Beam Irradiation of Cellulosic Materials—Opportunities and Limitations". Materials. 6 (5): 1584–1598. Bibcode:2013Mate....6.1584H. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.377.9331. doi:10.3390/ma6051584. ISSN 1996-1944. PMC 5452524. PMID 28809230.
  7. "Patents Assigned to Xyleco, Inc". Justia. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  8. Michael Lauzon (December 23, 2002). "Xyleco patents plastic/wood technologies". Plastics News. Crain Communications. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  9. Angie Derosa (November 1, 2004). "Rubbermaid, Xyleco team up". Plastics News. Crain Communications. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
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