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已经解锁了对油脂在不使用氢气或催化剂的情况下直接转化为碳氢化合物的高温自由基的理解。这些基本的见解支持了具有工业竞争力的加拿大专利新技术的发展。随后的应用赠款投资和应用研究合作伙伴关系，许可和正在进行的脂质-烃技术的商业部署为从可持续的低价值原料建立低成本先进生物燃料提供了突破，大大降低了碳强度。虽然我的研究项目已经为可行的先进生物燃料技术创造了一条新的途径，但仍然有未探索的机会去探索开发新的生物喷气燃料和具有非常低浊点的潜在超级燃料的途径。 所要求的资金是在以前这些成功投资的基础上，增加了两条额外的调查线和基本调查，并根据加拿大的国家优先事项培训了人力资源规划人员。第一个新的研究领域将集中在探索新的自由基反应，最近发现的我的程序，与小的不饱和化合物的油脂之间。添加这些化合物的明确目的是诱导产生支链烃的化学反应，而不使用传统的异构化和氢气。重点将是开发能够满足加拿大严格的生物喷气燃料要求的支链烃产品流，以及生产传统催化方法无法实现的极低浊点超级燃料。第二条调查线将调查微波在高温高压下加热脂肪和油的新用途。这将使独特的化学和更快的转换脂肪和油的高价值的燃料，化学品和溶剂使用独特的原型微波系统设计和制造的行业合作伙伴与我的集团参与在过去的2年。大多数活动将集中在获得更深入的了解反应的基本原理，控制变量的操纵，并在开发预测模型的反应系统。 所采取的方法将侧重于培训5名不同的高素质研究生，他们具有科学和工程背景，沿着2名博士后研究员，他们在基本的多学科环境中通过参加会议，行业合作伙伴接触和研讨会接触工业研究动态。我的实验室还将提供一个高节奏的研究环境，专注于专业培训，文化意识和敏感性。这将提供专业的沟通技巧，包括口头陈述，书面披露，小组会议以及个人指导的重点。

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.