Abstract
The production of alcohols from lignocellulosic biomass has moved from a long-range technology a few years ago to one with a real near-term potential for commercial development. SERI's 1 ton/day gasifier produces a medium-Btu gas used to make methanol with only a small water shift. Recent catalyst research has produced materials that make methanol and mixtures of higher alcohols that will enhancethe value of methanol as a fuel extender. Three processes have emerged as candidates for early development. They are (1) a high-temperature, dilute-acid, plug-flow approach similar to the Dartmouth reactor; (2) steam explosion pretreatment followed by hydrolysis using the RUT-C30 fungal organism; and (3) direct microbial conversion of cellulose to ethanol using bacteria in single or mixedcultures.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 8 |
| State | Published - 1984 |
NREL Publication Number
- NREL/TP-231-2326
Keywords
- alcohol fuels
- SERI