EFRI-HyBi: Algal oils to "drop-in" replacements for petroleum transportation fuels

H. Henry Lamb*, Joann Burkholder, William L. Roberts, Heike W. Sederoff, Larry F. Strikeleather

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The goal for this program is to develop and demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of producing high quality transportation fuels from a non-food feedstock, namely microalgae (Dunaliella spp.). A multi-step, catalytic process is being optimized to produce high quality hydrocarbon biofuels from lipid-rich biomass that are nearly identical to their petroleum-derived counterpart. Next generation biofuels, to be successful in the marketplace and accepted by the public, will necessarily mimic the chemical composition of the petroleum-derived fuels using non-food feedstocks. Key advantages of the proposed biofuels process are its feedstock flexibility, output flexibility/control and very limited hydrogen requirement (this is not a hydrogenation process). Technical challenges include genetic modification of Dunaliella spp. to overproduce fatty acids, lipid extraction using low energy separation processes to remove unwanted compounds from lipids/FFAs, efficient hydrogenation into FFAs, optimization of the catalytic decarboxylation process, hydroisomerization and hydroaromitization as necessary, and quantification of the fuel properties.

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts
StatePublished - 2010
Externally publishedYes
Event240th ACS National Meeting and Exposition - Boston, MA, United States
Duration: Aug 22 2010Aug 26 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'EFRI-HyBi: Algal oils to "drop-in" replacements for petroleum transportation fuels'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this