(704d) Thermocatalytic Conversion of Wet Waste to Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Chemical Precursors

Wet waste is a low-cost, abundant feedstock capable of displacing significant amounts of domestic petrofuel and petrochemical consumption. We present a sequential biochemical-thermochemical pathway to upgrade wet waste into hydrocarbon sustainable aviation fuel blendstock and aromatic chemical intermediates with near-zero or net-negative life-cycle CO₂ emissions. Waste is initially upgraded to carboxylic acids via arrested anaerobic digestion, then catalytically converted to hydrocarbons via sequential (or parallel) heterogeneous catalytic ketonization over zirconium oxide, cyclization over H/ZSM-5 zeolite, and hydrodeoxygenation over a conventional hydrotreating catalyst. The process forms two useful products: a stream of n-alkanes suitable as aviation fuel blendstock and a stream of aromatics applicable as either polymer precursors or aviation fuel blendstock. We will review the kinetics, durability, and reactor design of key catalytic processes as well as the applicability of final products to targeted applications.