Money Doesn't Grow on Trees, But Gasoline Might

[Ted]

I picked this up via an article in the latest IET magazine.

"Money Doesn't Grow on Trees, But Gasoline Might"

"... the first direct conversion of plant cellulose into gasoline components."

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111392

And a little more detail from : http://www.ecs.umass.edu/index.pl?id=4555

"Liquid Alkane Production
Alkanes ranging from C1 to C6 can be produced by aqueous-phase dehydration/hydrogenation (APD/H) of biomass derived carbohydrates. Larger alkanes, ranging from C7 to C15, can be produced by combining the APD/H process with a C-C bond forming aqueous-phase aldol condensation step. These larger alkanes can be used as a premium, sulfur-free diesel fuel derived from domestically-available biomass-resources.

Hydrogen Production
Hydrogen is produced from aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of biomass-derived-oxygenates. The high-pressure H2 produced by APR is also well suited to be used as a processing stream elsewhere in a self-sustained biorefinery or as a fuel for a PEM fuel cell.

Functionalized Materials
In order to economically convert biomass to fuels and chemicals, highly-active solid-acid and-base catalysts must be developed. Inorganic-organic functionalized mesoporous-materials have been shown to have a high activity for a number of liquid phase catalytic reactions in organic solvents. This project focuses on further improvement of functionalized mesoporous-materials and applying these materials to aqueous-phase processes. Exciting new synthesis techniques are used which allow production of nanostructured catalytic materials with controlled acidity, basicity, polarity, and pore structure. Once the materials are synthesized and characterized they will then be tested in a wide variety of aqueous-phase reactions."

[Ted]

A little more digging around turns up this:

Breaking the Chemical and Engineering Barriers to Lignocellulosic Biofuels: Next Generation Hydrocarbon Biorefineries

http://www.ecs.umass.edu/biofuels/Images/Roadmap2-08.pdf

[mespilus]

Thanks for publicising the links to the biofuels roadmap.

A quick skim shows at least one of the participants believes in de-centralised
bio-fuel production,
but,
nothing to pop in your shed
yet.

[heatherw]

Ted, I've been meaning to ask for a long time.  What is that shield you're holding?

[renewablejohn]

Ted

If you want to have a go I can supply you with plenty of woodchip

[Ivan]

One of the big oil companies (Shell?) has pioneered gas-to-diesel technology. I think it's even available at some pumps.

Could be a big thing in the future, as gas can be produced from biomass.

[Ted]

Ted, I've been meaning to ask for a long time.  What is that shield you're holding?

I was awarded the Student of the Year prize on the Forestry course I did a few years back.

[heatherw]

Well done!  So we have an expert in our midst.

[Ted]

Not at all. It was a varied course that concentrated on 'Jack of all Trades' rather than a master of one. Tree identification, planting and felling, pesticide application, chainsaw use and maintenance, hedge laying, fencing and dry stone walling being the main ones.

My forefathers were all woodsmen so tree sap is in my veins.   

[ajstoneservices]

Ted

We intend to plant two acres of woodland this year, what would you choose to plant and when.

Tony