SBIR Phase I: Advanced Biomass to Alcohols Process

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目寻求开发一种突破性的化学工艺，将纤维素生物质转化为可以很容易地混合到汽油中的酒精。该项目解决了对生物质转换技术的迫切需求，这种技术可以有效地生产与现有发动机和基础设施兼容的汽车燃料。该项目响应了美国国家科学基金会提出的开发新的生物质转化和生物精炼改进技术的愿望，特别是对选择性地解构生物质并将其转化为有用材料的问题。生物质被转化为汽油范围的醇，适合用作汽车燃料添加剂或替代品。这项技术的关键创新是一种独特的反应方案，该方案结合了三个步骤来解聚和稳定生物质，然后使用一种具有酸碱组合功能的新型多相催化剂选择性地将其转化为有用的醇。如果成功，这项技术将提供一种可再生的汽车燃料来源，开始抵消美国每天消耗的3.9亿加仑汽油。这项SBIR第一阶段项目提供了比其他拟议的生物质转换技术更好的性能。具体地说，不会产生酸性废物，副产品被降到最低，饲料中包含的所有碳都保存在所需的燃料产品中。这项技术可以构成第一批经济上可行的生物炼油厂的基础。许多石油公司以及私人投资者团体都表示有兴趣率先推出这种类型的下一代生物炼油厂，但它们缺乏成本效益高的技术。这一先进的生物质转化为汽油的过程可以是使技术成为可能，从非食物垃圾生物质提供清洁、可再生的汽车燃料，零净碳排放，以及减少美国对进口石油的依赖的能力。该奖项由2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公共法律111-5)资助。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to develop a breakthrough chemical process to convert cellulosic biomass into alcohols that can be easily blended into gasoline. This project addresses the urgent need for biomass conversion technologies that can efficiently produce motor fuels compatible with existing engines and infrastructure. This project responds to the NSF-stated desire to develop new biomass conversion and biorefinery improvement technologies, and in particular to the problem of selectively deconstructing biomass and converting it into useful materials. Biomass is converted into gasoline-range alcohols suitable for use as a motor fuel additive or substitute. The key innovations in this technology are a unique reaction scheme combining three steps to depolymerize and stabilize biomass, and then to selectively convert it to useful alcohols using a new heterogeneous catalyst with combined acid/base functionalities. If successful, this technology would provide a renewable source of motor fuel to begin to offset the 390 million gallons of gasoline consumed in the US each day.This SBIR Phase I project offers significantly better performance than other proposed biomass conversion technologies. Specifically, no acidic waste is produced, byproducts are minimized, and all of the carbon contained in the feed is preserved in the desired fuel products. This technology could form the basis of the first economically viable biorefineries. Many oil companies, as well as private investor groups have expressed interest in being the first to market with this type of next-generation biorefinery, but they lack cost-effective technology. This advanced biomass-to-gasoline process can be that enabling technology, offering clean, renewable motor fuels from non-food waste biomass, zero net carbon emissions, and the ability to reduce the US dependence on imported oil.This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).