(127c) Thermo-Catalytic Approaches for the Conversion of Biomass into Hydrocarbons

The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into hydrocarbons has been a major research goal for many years, as it may provide a path to generate liquid transportation fuels from agricultural residues and other types of waste material. A number of methods have been employed to achieve this goal, and the limitations often prove to be of economic nature.

This talk will discuss a variety of thermo-catalytic approaches for the conversion of biomass into hydrocarbons – in particular, we will describe results involving methods that can potentially generate high-value chemicals from biomass, as these have a much higher chance to lead to economically viable processes. These methods may involve homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts, hydrogen gas, or hot compressed water. We will discuss results obtained for catalytic fast pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, and hydrothermal liquefaction. We will also discuss thermo-catalytic methods that serve as important steps for commercially important processes, such as the oligomerization of ethylene, which plays an important role in the alcohol-to-jet process. We will discuss strengths and weaknesses associated with each technology, and the types of products that can be obtained with each.