Iowa State University researchers are integrating thermo-chemical and catalytic technologies to efficiently produce ethanol from plant biomass, overcoming problems with previous conversion techniques. The process would use high-temperature, fast pyrolysis to convert plant biomass into a bio-oil, which in turn would be gasified with steam and/or oxygen to produce a synthesis gas that would be catalyzed to produce ethanol fuel.

Victor Lin, a professor of chemistry and director of the Center for Catalysis and leader of the Iowa State project, said the key to the process is using a catalyst based on nanospheres having a nanoporous structure with honeycomb channels. Lin said those channels can be loaded with a metallic catalyst that can improve reactivity and product selectivity.

Iowa State's plan addresses the challenge of transporting biomass to fuel production plants - normally not easy or cheap because of the bulk and quantities involved. Converting the plant fiber into liquid bio-oil would make it much easier to transport to bigger, regional facilities, where it could be efficiently gasified at high pressure and catalytically converted into ethanol.

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