Biomass feedstocks such as algae, agricultural waste, and forestry waste are key to a future that runs on renewable energy. They can be converted to sustainable biofuels, which have become increasingly prevalent around the world. In 2018, global biofuel production surpassed 150 billion liters.
Most plant-based materials, however, must be deoxygenated during conversion to biofuels. Biofuels with high oxygen levels typically have low volatility and energy content, as well as high corrosiveness.
Iron catalysts are commonly used to remove oxygen from plant-based feedstocks. Iron is inexpensive and abundant, but problematic because it can form rust during the reaction, which deactivates the catalyst.
Chemical engineers at Washington State Univ. (WSU) have overcome this hurdle by creating an iron catalyst that efficiently removes oxygen from biomass feedstocks without rusting.
Generally, iron catalysts work by first reacting with hydrogen present in the biomass — the hydrogen dissociates from the structure and binds to the catalyst surface. Then, the catalyst reacts with oxygen contained in the feedstock’s aromatic compounds, binding the oxygen molecule to its surface as well. Finally, the hydrogen and oxygen...
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