04-Oct-2021 | Market Research Store
Single-step chemical catalyst developed at U.S. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNNL)streamlines the procedure of converting biologically derived ethanol into n-butene. The latter is further processed to produce diesel or jet fuel. The boiling point of n-butene is significantly lower than ethanol, thereby making it highly hazardous. Hence, its transportation requires exclusive pressure vessels. This project represents the advanced approach in providing additional product streams from n-butene.
The novel conversion technology is capable of replacing fossil fuels in the conventional and energy-intensive approach to synthesize n-butene. The PNNL system follows a restricted carbon dioxide emission route for transforming waste-derived and renewable ethanol into useful chemicals. Traditional procedures can be incorporated to refine the n-butene derived from sustainable methods into jet fuels, diesel, and industrial lubricants. The catalyst is composed of silver nitrate powder, silica, and zirconium nitrate, which can yield n-butene by converting over 90% of ethanol using more than 60% selectivity.
To illustrate the technology, the researchers at PNNL decided to 3D print around 25 percent of the commercially established microchannel reactor. The modular layout of the system is anticipated to lend itself to commercial-based bioreactor construction close to agricultural centers where the majority of biomass is emitted. The reactor will receive ethanol from LanzaTech, a company that collaborated for this jet fuel production project. The partner industry employs a patented approach that transforms carbon-loaded residues and waste into ethanol.
Robert Dagle, being the secondary investigator of this research, believes that with the technological advancement in microchannel manufacturing methods, the researchers are aiming to enhance the bioconversion applications. He mentioned that these bioreactors would be developed at the commercial level near agricultural centers to accumulate an appropriate amount of biogas. The scientists have stated that the compact scalable design would not only decline the production time but also reduce the toxicity level of the final product.
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