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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Identification And Thermochemical Analysis Of High-Lignin Feedstocks For Biofuel And Biochemical Production, Venugopal Mendu, Anne E. Harman-Ware, Mark Crocker, Jungho Jae, Jozsef Stork, Samuel Morton, Andrew Placido, George W. Huber, Seth Debolt
Identification And Thermochemical Analysis Of High-Lignin Feedstocks For Biofuel And Biochemical Production, Venugopal Mendu, Anne E. Harman-Ware, Mark Crocker, Jungho Jae, Jozsef Stork, Samuel Morton, Andrew Placido, George W. Huber, Seth Debolt
George W. Huber
Background - Lignin is a highly abundant biopolymer synthesized by plants as a complex component of plant secondary cell walls. Efforts to utilize lignin-based bioproducts are needed. Results - Herein we identify and characterize the composition and pyrolytic deconstruction characteristics of high-lignin feedstocks. Feedstocks displaying the highest levels of lignin were identified as drupe endocarp biomass arising as agricultural waste from horticultural crops. By performing pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we characterized lignin-derived deconstruction products from endocarp biomass and compared these with switchgrass. By comparing individual pyrolytic products, we document higher amounts of acetic acid, 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, acetone and furfural …
A Systematic Method To Evaluate And Develop Renewable Energy Technologies, George W. Huber, A. A. Upadhye, W. Qi
A Systematic Method To Evaluate And Develop Renewable Energy Technologies, George W. Huber, A. A. Upadhye, W. Qi
George W. Huber
No abstract provided.
Chemistry Of Furan Conversion Into Aromatics And Olefins Over Hzsm-5: A Model Biomass Conversion Reaction, George W. Huber, Y. Cheng
Chemistry Of Furan Conversion Into Aromatics And Olefins Over Hzsm-5: A Model Biomass Conversion Reaction, George W. Huber, Y. Cheng
George W. Huber
The conversion of furan (a model of cellulosic biomass) over HZSM-5 was investigated in a thermogravimetric analysis–mass spectrometry system, in situ Fourier transform infrared analysis, and in a continuous-flow fixed-bed reactor. Furan adsorbed as oligomers at room temperature with a 1.73 of adsorbed furan/Al ratio. These oligomers were polycyclic aromatic compounds that were converted to CO, CO2, aromatics, and olefins at temperatures from 400 to 600 °C. Aromatics (e.g., benzene, toluene, and naphthalene), oligomer isomers (e.g., benzofuran, 2,2-methylenebisfuran, and benzodioxane), and heavy oxygenates (C12+ oligomers) were identified as intermediates formed inside HZSM-5 at different reaction temperatures. During furan conversion, graphite-type …
Catalytic Conversion Of Biomass-Derived Feedstocks Into Olefins And Aromatics With Zsm-5: The Hydrogen To Carbon Effective Ratio, George W. Huber, H. Zhang, Y. Cheng, T. P. Vispute, R. Xiao
Catalytic Conversion Of Biomass-Derived Feedstocks Into Olefins And Aromatics With Zsm-5: The Hydrogen To Carbon Effective Ratio, George W. Huber, H. Zhang, Y. Cheng, T. P. Vispute, R. Xiao
George W. Huber
Catalytic conversion of ten biomass-derived feedstocks, i.e. glucose, sorbitol, glycerol, tetrahydrofuran, methanol and different hydrogenated bio-oil fractions, with different hydrogen to carbon effective (H/Ceff) ratios was conducted in a gas-phase flow fixed-bed reactor with a ZSM-5 catalyst. The aromatic + olefin yield increases and the coke yield decreases with increasing H/Ceff ratio of the feed. There is an inflection point at a H/Ceff ratio = 1.2, where the aromatic + olefin yield does not increase as rapidly as it does prior to this point. The ratio of olefins to aromatics also increases with increasing H/Ceff ratio. CO and CO2 yields …
Simulating Infrared Spectra And Hydrogen Bonding In Cellulose Iβ At Elevated Temperatures, George W. Huber, V. Agarwal, W. C. Conner Jr.
Simulating Infrared Spectra And Hydrogen Bonding In Cellulose Iβ At Elevated Temperatures, George W. Huber, V. Agarwal, W. C. Conner Jr.
George W. Huber
We have modeled the transformation of cellulose Iβ to a high temperature (550 K) structure, which is considered to be the first step in cellulose pyrolysis. We have performed molecular dynamics simulations at constant pressure using the GROMOS 45a4 united atom forcefield. To test the forcefield, we computed the density, thermal expansion coefficient, total dipole moment, and dielectric constant of cellulose Iβ, finding broad agreement with experimental results. We computed infrared (IR) spectra of cellulose Iβ over the range 300–550 K as a probe of hydrogen bonding. Computed IR spectra were found to agree semi-quantitatively with experiment, especially in the …
Production Of Green Aromatics And Olefins By Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Of Wood Sawdust, George W. Huber, T. R. Carlson, Y. -T Cheng, J Jae
Production Of Green Aromatics And Olefins By Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Of Wood Sawdust, George W. Huber, T. R. Carlson, Y. -T Cheng, J Jae
George W. Huber
Catalytic fast pyrolysis of pine wood sawdust and furan (a model biomass compound) with ZSM-5 based catalysts was studied with three different reactors: a bench scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor, a fixed bed reactor and a semi-batch pyroprobe reactor. The highest aromatic yield from sawdust of 14% carbon in the fluidized bed reactor was obtained at low biomass weight hourly space velocities (less than 0.5 h−1) and high temperature (600 °C). Olefins (primarily ethylene and propylene) were also produced with a carbon yield of 5.4% carbon. The biomass weight hourly space velocity and the reactor temperature can be used to …
Production Of Furfural And Carboxylic Acids From Waste Aqueous Hemicellulose Solutions From The Pulp And Paper And Cellulosic Ethanol Industries, George W. Huber, R. Xing, W. Qi
Production Of Furfural And Carboxylic Acids From Waste Aqueous Hemicellulose Solutions From The Pulp And Paper And Cellulosic Ethanol Industries, George W. Huber, R. Xing, W. Qi
George W. Huber
In this paper we present a new process to produce furfural and co-products of formic and acetic acids from waste aqueous hemicellulose solutions using a continuous two zone biphasic reactor. We estimate this approach uses 67% to 80% less energy than the current industrial processes to produce furfural. An economic analysis indicates that furfural can be produced with this process at 366 US$ per metric ton which is 25% of the selling price of furfural in the U.S. market today. This analysis assumes a plant capacity of 78 kiloton per year of furfural, 12 kiloton per year of formic acid …
Renewable Gasoline From Aqueous Phase Hydrodeoxygenation Of Aqueous Sugar Solutions Prepared By Hydrolysis Of Maple Wood, George W. Huber, N. Li, G. A. Tompsett, T. Zhang, J. Shi, C. E. Wyman
Renewable Gasoline From Aqueous Phase Hydrodeoxygenation Of Aqueous Sugar Solutions Prepared By Hydrolysis Of Maple Wood, George W. Huber, N. Li, G. A. Tompsett, T. Zhang, J. Shi, C. E. Wyman
George W. Huber
In this paper we demonstrate an integrated process for the production of high octane gasoline from maple wood by hydrolysis of maple wood into aqueous carbohydrate solutions followed by aqueous phase hydrodeoxygenation of the sugar solutions. The aqueous carbohydrate solutions were prepared by both hydrolysis in hot water and hydrolysis with dilute acids (H2SO4, oxalic acid). The aqueous carbohydrate solutions were a mixture of xylose, water soluble hemicellulose oligomers, acetic acid, glucose, glucose oligomers, and probably some lignin polymers. Hydrolysis with hot water produced primarily hemicellulose oligomers whereas hydrolysis with acids produced mainly xylose and acetic acid. The hydrolysis co-product …