(30b) Pyrolysis Based Technologies for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass Into Fuels and Chemicals

Concerns about global warming and national security, combined with the diminishing supply and increased cost of fossil fuels are causing our society to search for new sources of transportation fuels. In this respect plant biomass is the only sustainable feedstock that can be used for production of renewable liquid fuels. Currently cellulosic biomass is significantly cheaper than petroleum (at $15 per barrel of oil energy equivalent) and abundant. However, the chief impediment to the utilization of our biomass resources is the lack of economical processes for conversion of biomass resources into fuels. To develop these processes, it is necessary to understand and overcome the key biological, chemical and engineering barriers, and develop the enabling technologies that will allow us to efficiently use our biomass resources. A major 21st century goal for academia, industry, and government should be the emergence of efficient and economical processes for the conversion of our domestic biomass resources.

In this presentation we will discuss two different strategies for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass by pyrolysis based approaches including fast pyrolysis followed by catalytic processing of the bio-oils and catalytic fast pyrolysis, which involves the introduction of catalysts into the pyrolysis reactor. Recent advances in theoretical chemistry combined with new in-situ catalyst characterization methods allow us to understand chemistry at a fundamentally new level. Combining fundamental chemical understanding with new methods to synthesize nanostructured catalytic materials, the ability to design and simulate complicated reaction networks, and the ability to perform conceptual design and optimization problems allow us to engineer efficient and economical processes for biofuel production. While biology is crucial for biofuel production, chemistry, chemical catalysis and engineering will be equally vital to make lignocellulosic biofuels a practical reality.