(332a) Strategies for the Conversion of Biomass-Derived Carbohydrates and Fatty Acids to Fuels and Lubricants
AIChE Annual Meeting
2016
2016 AIChE Annual Meeting
Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division
Award Session in Honor of Prof. Jim Dumesic II
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - 12:30pm to 1:00pm
Biomass represents a renewable source of carbon that can be used to produce fuels and lubricants in a sustainable manner. We have recently shown that C5 and C6 sugars derived from lignocellulosic biomass and fatty acids derived from a variety of plant oils can be used to produce alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones of different molecular weights. These synthons can be used in various combinations to produce oxygen-containing compounds and hydrocarbons that are suitable for addition as octane boosters for gasoline, cetane enhancers for diesel, and high-quality lubricants. We have found that a wide variety of compounds can be produced using a limited set of catalysts. This talk will illustrate how this portfolio of catalysts and synthons can be used to produce desired compounds with a minimum consumption of hydrogen. For several of the applications presented, life-cycle analyses have been carried out to show that the proposed approach is expected to result in lower GHG emissions.