Production of bio-oil: A new pyrolysis process is under development to increase liquid production for fuel use

摘要

RESEARCH CONTINUES TO FIND A COST-EFFICIENT PROCESS to develop renewable oils and fuels from sources other than petroleum. In the U.S., this movement is driven in part by a proposed standard that requires increasing the supply of renewable fuels to 36 billion gallons by 2022. One challenge in the development of alternative fuels is to use feedstocks that are not linked to the food supply. In a previous TLT article, a new approach for potentially preparing hydrocarbons suitable for use as fuel is to emulate photosynthesis. A process has been developed to efficiently convert carbon dioxide, one of the raw materials used in photosynthesis, into carbon monoxide that can then be a precursor for higher molecular hydrocarbons suitable as liquid fuels. The key element in the process is the use of an ionic liquid that forms a complex with carbon dioxide.