Exploration of Pathways to Advanced Biofuels and Co-Products

在过去的 15 年里，NSERC Discovery 资助的我们实验室的研究解锁了对油和脂肪在不使用氢气或催化剂的情况下直接高温自由基转化为碳氢化合物的理解。这些基本见解支持了加拿大具有工业竞争力的专利新技术的开发。随后的应用赠款投资和应用研究合作伙伴关系、许可以及脂质转化碳氢化合物技术的持续商业部署，在利用可持续低价值原料生产低成本先进生物燃料方面取得了突破，并大幅降低了碳强度。尽管我的研究项目为可行的先进生物燃料技术开辟了一条新途径，但仍然存在尚未探索的机会来寻求已确定的途径来开发新的生物喷气燃料和具有极低浊点的潜在超级燃料。 所请求的资金建立在之前这些成功投资的基础上，增加了两条额外的调查和基础调查以及符合加拿大国家优先事项的总部培训。第一个新的研究领域将集中于探索新的自由基反应，这是我的程序最近发现的，在含有小型不饱和化合物的油和脂肪之间。添加这些化合物的明确目的是诱导化学反应产生支链烃，而无需使用传统的异构化和氢气。重点将是开发能够满足严格的加拿大生物喷气燃料要求的支链碳氢化合物产品流，并生产传统催化方法无法实现的极低浊点超级燃料。第二项调查将调查微波在高温和高压下加热脂肪和油的新用途。这将使用独特的原型微波系统实现独特的化学反应，并更快速地将脂肪和油转化为高价值燃料、化学品和溶剂，该系统由行业合作伙伴设计和制造，我的团队在过去两年中参与了设计和制造。大多数活动将侧重于更深入地了解反应基础知识、控制变量的操纵以及开发反应系统的预测模型。 采取的方法将侧重于在基本的多学科环境中培训 5 名具有科学和工程背景的多元化高素质研究生以及 2 名博士后研究员，通过参加会议、行业合作伙伴接触和研讨会来了解行业研究动态。我的实验室还将提供一个高节奏的研究环境，重点关注专业培训、文化意识和敏感性。这将侧重于专业沟通技巧，包括口头演示、书面披露、小组会议以及个人指导。

Over the past 15 years, NSERC Discovery funded research in our laboratory has unlocked understanding of the high temperature free-radical conversion of oils and fats directly into hydrocarbons without the use of hydrogen or catalysts. These fundamental insights have supported the development of a patented industrially-competitive Canadian novel technology. Subsequent applied grant investments and applied research partnerships, licensing, and ongoing commercial deployment of a Lipid-to-Hydrocarbon technology has provided a breakthrough in establishing low cost advanced biofuels from sustainable low value feedstocks with substantially reduced carbon intensity. Although my research program has created a new pathway to a viable advanced biofuel technology, there remains unexplored opportunity to pursue identified pathways to develop new biojet fuels and potentially super fuels with very low cloud points. The requested funding builds upon these previous successful investments adding two additional lines of inquiry and fundamental investigation and the training of HQP aligned with Canada's national priorities. The first new area of investigation will focus on exploring novel free-radical reactions, recently discovered by my program, between oils and fats with small unsaturated compounds. The compounds are added with the express purpose of inducing chemistries that produce branched hydrocarbons without the use of traditional isomerization and hydrogen. The focus will be on developing product streams of branched hydrocarbons capable of meeting stringent Canadian biojet fuel requirements as well as producing very low cloud point super fuels not possible with traditional catalytic approaches. A second line of inquiry will investigate the novel use of microwaves for the heating of fats and oils at high temperatures AND pressures. This will enable unique chemistries and more rapid conversion of fats and oils to high value fuels, chemicals and solvents using a UNIQUE prototype microwave system designed and fabricated by an industry partner with my groups participation over the past 2 years. The majority of the activities will focus on gaining deeper understanding of reaction fundamentals, manipulation of controlling variables, and on developing predictive models for the reaction systems. The approach taken will be to focus on the training of 5 diverse highly qualified graduate students with a mix of scientific and engineering backgrounds along with 2 postdoctoral fellows in a fundamental multidisciplinary environment with exposure to industrial research dynamics through participation in conferences, industry partner exposure and workshops. My lab will also provide a high-paced research environment with a focus on professional training, cultural awareness and sensitivities. This will be provided with an emphasis on professional communication skills including oral presentations, written disclosures, and group meetings as well as individual mentorship.