New continuous reaction process can help turn plant waste into sustainable aviation fuel

Washington State College scientists efficiently examined a brand new option to produce sustainable jet gasoline from lignin-based agricultural waste. Revealed within the journal Gas Processing Know-howthe workforce’s research demonstrated a steady course of that immediately converts lignin polymers, one of many chief parts of plant cells, right into a type of jet gasoline that might assist enhance efficiency of sustainably produced aviation fuels.

“Our achievement takes this technology one step closer to real-world use by providing data that lets us better gauge its feasibility for commercial aviation,” mentioned lead scientist Bin Yang, professor in WSU’s Division of Organic Programs Engineering.

A category of structural molecules that make crops powerful and woody, lignin is derived from corn stover—the stalks, cobs and leaves left after harvest—and different agricultural byproducts.

The workforce developed a course of known as “simultaneous depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation,” which breaks down the lignin polymer and on the identical time removes oxygen to create lignin-based jet gasoline. At their Richland facility, the scientists launched dissolved lignin polymer right into a steady hydrotreating reactor to supply the gasoline.

International consumption of aviation gasoline reached an all-time excessive of almost 100 billion gallons in 2019, and demand is anticipated to extend within the coming many years. Sustainable aviation fuels derived from plant-based biomass may assist decrease aviation’s carbon footprint, scale back contrails and meet worldwide carbon neutrality targets.

Lignin-based jet gasoline may make sustainable fuels cleaner and extra simply usable in jet engines. Due to their density, effectivity, and seal-swelling traits, hydrocarbons catalyzed from lignin may successfully change fossil fuel-derived compounds known as aromatics. Related to contrails and local weather impacts, aromatics stay in use as a result of they improve gasoline density and assist swell O-rings in metal-to-metal joints.

This analysis marked the workforce’s first profitable take a look at of a steady course of, which is extra possible for industrial manufacturing. The mission additionally used a much less processed, inexpensive type of lignin derived from corn stover, dubbed “technical lignin,” contrasting comparable analysis utilizing extracted lignin bio-oil.

The workforce’s findings recommend lignin is a promising supply of aromatic-replacing cycloalkanes and different helpful gasoline compounds.

“The aviation enterprise is looking to generate 100% renewable aviation fuel,” mentioned Josh Heyne, analysis workforce member and co-director of the WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute. “Lignin-based jet fuel complements existing technologies by, for example, increasing the density of fuel blends.”

Providing diminished emissions, lignin-based gasoline may in the end make sustainable aviation fuels totally “drop-in” succesful, which means they can be utilized with all current engines, infrastructure and plane like current fossil-derived aviation gasoline.

“We’re working to create an effective, commercially relevant technology for a complementary blend component that can achieve the 100% drop-in goal,” Heyne mentioned.

The workforce is now working to refine their course of for higher effectivity and diminished prices.