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Xyleco
Founded1994 Edit this on Wikidata
FounderMarshall Medoff
HeadquartersWakefield, Massachusetts
Websitehttp://www.xyleco.com

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]

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

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According 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

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Marshall Medoff was born December 30, 1937. He died November 17th, 2021.[10]

Company reputation

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Xyleco 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

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References

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  1. ^ "Corporate Website". Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Xyleco Cellulosic Fuels, Corporate Website https://www.xyleco.com/cellulosic-fuels/
  4. ^ a b "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. ^ Lauzon, Michael (December 23, 2002). "Xyleco patents plastic/wood technologies". Plastics News. Crain Communications. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  9. ^ Derosa, Angie (November 1, 2004). "Rubbermaid, Xyleco team up". Plastics News. Crain Communications. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  10. ^ "Marshall Medoff Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information". www.goldmanfc.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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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