SBIR Phase I: Advanced Biomass to Alcohols Process

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在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入汽油的醇类。该项目解决了对生物质转化技术的迫切需求，这些技术可以有效地生产与现有发动机和基础设施兼容的发动机燃料。该项目响应了NSF提出的开发新的生物质转化和生物炼制改进技术的愿望，特别是选择性地解构生物质并将其转化为有用材料的问题。生物质被转化为适合用作发动机燃料添加剂或替代品的汽油范围的醇。该技术的关键创新是一种独特的反应方案，结合了三个步骤来脱乙酰基和稳定生物质，然后使用具有组合酸/碱功能的新型多相催化剂将其选择性地转化为有用的醇。如果成功的话，这项技术将提供一种可再生的汽车燃料，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化技术更好的性能。具体而言，不产生酸性废物，副产物最小化，并且进料中所含的所有碳都保留在所需的燃料产品中。这项技术可以成为第一个经济上可行的生物精炼厂的基础。许多石油公司以及私人投资者团体都表示有兴趣成为第一个将这种下一代生物炼制推向市场的公司，但他们缺乏具有成本效益的技术。这种先进的生物质转化为汽油的过程可以使技术，提供清洁，可再生的发动机燃料，从非食品废物生物质，零净碳排放，并有能力减少美国对进口石油的依赖。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

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).