• Home
  • Dreamer's Blog
  • વટ થી ગુજરાતી
  • Meetups
  • Contact Me
  • FAQ
MADE FOR DREAMERS
  • Home
  • Dreamer's Blog
  • વટ થી ગુજરાતી
  • Meetups
  • Contact Me
  • FAQ

BLOG

MAD 4 GERMANY

New method which turns biomass waste into fuel

21/12/2014

Comments

 
Picture
Scientists, including those of Indian-origin, have developed a new method that can turn biomass waste into chemical products which can be used to create high-octane fuel for jets and race cars.

A team of researchers from Purdue University's Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels, or C3Bio, has developed a process that uses a chemical catalyst and heat to spur reactions that convert lignin into valuable chemical commodities.

Lignin is a tough and highly complex molecule that gives the plant cell wall its rigid structure.

"We are able to take lignin - which most biorefineries consider waste to be burned for its heat - and turn it into high-value molecules that have applications in fragrance, flavouring and high-octane jet fuels," said Mahdi Abu-Omar, Professor of Chemical Engineering and associate director of C3Bio, who led the team.

"We can do this while simultaneously producing from the biomass lignin-free cellulose, which is the basis of ethanol and other liquid fuels. We do all of this in a one-step process," he said.

The Purdue team developed a process that starts with untreated chipped and milled wood from sustainable poplar, eucalyptus or birch trees.

A catalyst is added to initiate and speed the desired chemical reactions, but is not consumed by them and can be recycled and used again. A solvent is added to the mix to help dissolve and loosen up the materials.

The mixture is contained in a pressurised reactor and heated for several hours. The process breaks up the lignin molecules and results in lignin-free cellulose and a liquid stream that contains two additional chemical products, Abu-Omar said.

The liquid stream contains the solvent, which is easily evaporated and recycled, and two phenols, a class of aromatic hydrocarbon compounds used in perfumes and flavourings.

A commonly used artificial vanilla flavouring is currently produced using a phenol that comes from petroleum, Abu-Omar said.

The team also developed an additional process that uses another catalyst to convert the two phenol products into high-octane hydrocarbon fuel suitable for use as drop-in gasoline.

The fuel produced has a research octane rating greater than 100, whereas the average gas we put into our cars has an octane rating in the eighties, Abu-Omar said.

In addition to Abu-Omar, co-authors include chemical engineering graduate student Harshavardhan Choudhari, Basudeb Saha, associate research scientist in chemistry, andRakesh Agrawal, the Winthrop E Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering.

The process is described in a paper published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Green Chemistry.


Comments
    Picture

    Ankit 
    Sheladiya

    Entrepreneur, Blogger, Traveller, Thinker, Automobile Engineer, Human being.

    On Sale

    On Sale

    Documents Checking Service

    $15.00 $10.00
    Shop

    On Sale

    On Sale

    Personal Counselling Session for Education in Germany

    $25.00 $20.00
    Shop

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Announcement
    Auto Expo Delhi 2014
    Automotive News
    Career Guide
    Entrepreneurial
    German Language
    Informative
    Life Style
    Living In Germany
    Motorcycle
    MS In Germany
    Technology
    Top 10
    Working In Germany


    Hit Pages Track
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from wuestenigel, petra.wessman, Asamblea Nacional del Ecuador
  • Home
  • Dreamer's Blog
  • વટ થી ગુજરાતી
  • Meetups
  • Contact Me
  • FAQ