Catalytic Conversion of Lignin from corn into Jet Fuel and other materials

Date:11 December 2015

Country: United States

Application

• This project aims to convert corn stover lignin into jet-range hydrocarbons, which can be used as renewable jet fuel.It also explores the production of other chemicals and materials such as bioplastics, supercapacitors, and lipids from lignin, contributing to sustainable fuel and material alternatives.

Description

Researchers at Washington State University have developed a catalytic process to convert corn stover lignin into jet-range hydrocarbons, particularly C12–C18 cyclic hydrocarbons. The process, led by Professor Bin Yang, uses aqueous-phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) with a noble metal catalyst and acidic zeolite. The goal is to produce renewable jet fuel and other valuable chemicals from lignin, a waste product of biomass. This project is supported by several U.S. government agencies, including DARPA and the Department of Energy.

Pathway Description:

The process used in this project is aqueous-phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of dilute alkali-extracted corn stover lignin. This process is catalyzed by a noble metal catalyst (Ru/Al2O3) and acidic zeolite (H+-Y). It reduces the oxygen content of lignin, increasing its hydrogen-to-carbon ratio to yield hydrocarbons in the jet fuel range (C7–C18). The resulting hydrocarbons are then separated and purified to obtain jet fuel.