Integrated Hydropyrolysis and Hydroconversion Process (IH2) for Production of Gasoline and Diesel Fuel From Wood, Algae, Cornstover, Lemna, and Bagasse Feedstocks

Experimental results and a process design will be presented for an integrated process which uses hydropyrolysis plus hydroconversion to convert biomass into gasoline and diesel. The hydrogen needed for the hydropyrolysis and hydroconversion process is produced by reforming the light gases so that no external H₂ is required. Finished hydrocarbon products with less than 2% oxygen are directly produced using this processing approach.

Yield and product quality data from IH² testing of a variety of diverse biomass feedstocks will be presented, including data from wood, algae, corn stover, lemna and bagasse feeds. All the biomass feeds show good yields. In all cases the IH² hydrocarbon product has less than 1% oxygen, with TAN number less than 1. The IH² product is primarily gasoline and diesel. Product quality is affected by the type of feed and also the catalyst and conditions used. Algae produced the best diesel, while wood produced the highest octane gasoline.

Some data will also be shown, on the effects of catalyst and process variables on the IH² process. The relative amount of gasoline and diesel is affected by both the biomass feedstock and the processing conditions, particularly the catalyst.

Future IH² experimental and commercialization plans will also be discussed.