In Illinois, researchers at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville have successfully produced an environmentally friendly, cost-effective biofuel from the non-edible portion of a corn kernel using technology that is currently commercial available. Utilizing a mechanical process called fractionation, corn kernels are broken into bran and cellulose through mechanical separation, and then converted into fuel ethanol. The […]
In the UK, the benefits of biofuels over fossil fuels may be overestimated, according to a study just completed by scientists from the University of Edinburgh. The study applied a Life Cycle Analysis model of production, considering all factors relating to the production, usage, and disposal of a fuel or product. The study indicates that […]
In Texas, one team at Texas AgriLife Research is investigating the use of up to 60 million acres of (otherwise useless) mesquite and redberry juniper from southern Great Plains states into bio-based precursor gases. A second team has landed a $500,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant to investigate the impact of a change from […]
In California, researchers at the Center for Energy Research at UC San Diego recently demonstrated the best performance for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating directly on ethanol without external reformation. A peak power density of + 400 mW/cm2 was achieved at 800°C with air and a fuel containing 7.3 volume percent ethanol, a power […]
In Massachusetts, Agrivida has launched its first significant field production of research materials in USDA-permitted field trials. “Agrivida has created a proprietary INzyme molecular engineering technology that allows the renewable chemicals, fuels and other industries to grow a substrate of non-food energy crops that contain dormant enzymes, “said Agrivida’s Dr. Michael Lanahan. “These enzymes accumulate in […]
In a follow-up to yesterday’s “The 13 oddest and strangest biofuels feedstocks,” Inventure’s chemical engineers, based at the University of Alabama’s business incubator are exploring the use of kudzu as a feedstock for ethanol production. The vines, which are spreading across the South, can be turned into a sugary syrupy-like substance that will then be […]
In Hawaii, the University of Hawaii has received a $6m federal grant to research the conversion of grass into biofuel. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye said in a press release that such sustainable energy projects are “vital to the health of our environment and our economy.” He says the project will ease Hawaii off its dependence […]
In Wisconsin, two researchers received a five year award of $750,000 from the U.S Department of Energy. Jennifer Reed works on the conversion of lake-based strains of cyanobacteria into biobutanol, while Garret Suen’s research aims to create cellulosic ethanol by using bacteria found in cow rumens.
In Malaysia, twelve tons of waste oil palm tree biomass is en route from Malaysia to a plant in Italy for tests on its suitability for conversion into industrial sugar. Successful results could one day result in commercial scale production of high-value green chemicals from the non-edible residue of Malaysia’s vast oil palm plantations.
In Canada, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have developed polysaccharides that act as “molecular sponges” that can removed water from ethanol so that dehydration becomes a physical process that requires no chemicals and can be done at room temperature.
