Group Meeting Report

Biomass to Biofuels, a Chemical Perspective

Petrus, LeoNoordermeer, Minke A.

This paper focuses on possible routes from biomass to biofuels as seen from a chemical perspective.

Components of Biomass

Biomass

Biomass components

Cellulose

Hemi-Cellulose

Lignin

Terpenes

Triacylglycerols

Inorganics

25 %wt40-50 %wt25 %wt

Ligno-cellulose

BiomassThe energy content per mass unit increases

with decreasing oxygen content of the building blocks

Transportation FulesCurrent transportation fuels range from very

low boiling to high boiling mixtures of hydrocarbons, mainly produced from crude oil.

Transportation Fules

From Cellulosic Biomass to Transportation FuelsRemoval of all oxygen from carbohydrate-rich

biomass and upgrading to higher alkanes

Methane and charcoal are converted to higher alkanes via syngas as an intermediate

From Cellulosic Biomass to Transportation Fuels

Partial elimination of oxygen from carbohydrates as CO2 or H2O

From Lignin to Fuels The repeating unit of lignin contains a phenol group,

optionally substituted with one or two methoxy groups at the ortho-position and a C3-group at the para-position.

An approximate molecular formula of the basic unit in lignin is C10H12O3.

It can either be burnt directly or converted to synthesis gas. Other applications include oxidation to vanillin and production

of dimethyl sulfoxide.

ConclusionsThe easiest way to convert ligno-cellulosic biomass

into hydrocarbons in the transport fuel range is via routes involving C1-building blocks (syngas).

Routes not involving C1- or C2-building blocks usually give polar, unsaturated or aromatic components, which often need further conversion steps to become suitable as (blending) components for transport fuels.

The production of (blending) components for transport fuels requires careful selection of process routes and process conditions.

Outline of Thesis Proposal生物质 生物油木质素来源丰富，研究还在起步阶段有研究空间木质素与化石燃料成分的对比——氧含量偏高，导致热值低，燃烧不好。引出生物质制油需要除氧。加氢是除氧的有效手段，国内外对其在金属催化剂上加氢反应研究已经可以查到，但是对加氢机理研究还鲜有报道对木质素加氢机理进行研究，并指导对催化剂的选择

Outline of Thesis Proposal解决技术问题

利用 DFT 理论对木质素加氢机理研究，并指导催化剂的开放，促进生物质能源的有效利用。拟采用技术措施

通过理论计算，应用 VASP 软件模拟，来对上述技术问题加以解决。