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. Former US Secretary of State George Shultz was a board member until his death in February of 2021.[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]
| Founded | 1994  |
|---|---|
| Founder | Marshall Medoff |
| Headquarters | Wakefield, Massachusetts |
| Website | http://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
editAccording to a 2019 story on "60 Minutes", the company was started by Marshall Medoff, a then 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]
Marshall Medoff
editMarshall Medoff was born December 30, 1937. He died November 17th, 2021.[10]
Company reputation
editXyleco came to public attention in January 2019, when Lesley Stahl did a "60 Minutes" piece lauding Medoff as an eccentric but remarkably successful inventor.[11] Two months later, Lux Research published a review stating that "Lux views Xyleco with a great deal of skepticism... [G]iven its incorrect claims regarding the bioeconomy, exorbitantly expensive patent portfolio, unclear technology development history, and esteemed yet unrelated board, Lux believes that Xyleco is likely a scam."[12] Reviewers on Reddit were also highly skeptical of Medoff's claims.[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Corporate Website". Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Stahl, Lesley (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.
- ^ Xyleco Cellulosic Fuels, Corporate Website https://www.xyleco.com/cellulosic-fuels/
- ^ a b "Board of Directors". Xyleco. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ "Xyleco Employee Review". Glassdoor. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Patents Assigned to Xyleco, Inc". Justia. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Lauzon, Michael (December 23, 2002). "Xyleco patents plastic/wood technologies". Plastics News. Crain Communications. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Derosa, Angie (November 1, 2004). "Rubbermaid, Xyleco team up". Plastics News. Crain Communications. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ "Marshall Medoff Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information". www.goldmanfc.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Stahl, Lesley (2019-06-23). "Xyleco's Marshall Medoff: The unlikely, eccentric inventor turning inedible plant life into fuel - 60 Minutes interview with biofuel idea man - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Hewage, Gihan (2019-03-11). "Xyleco: The next Bio-Based Scam Looking to Cash in on the Sustainability Craze - Lux Research". luxresearchinc.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ theberkshire (2019-01-07). "Xyleco's Marshall Medoff: The unlikely, eccentric inventor turning inedible plant life into fuel". r/climate. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
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