Sep 9 2010
A University of Massachusetts chemical engineer has developed an improvised method for converting wood to synthetic fuels.
Paul Dauenhauer, Assistant Professor, has mentioned that the university’s focus is on lignocellulosic biomass, which would mean that trees and grasses could be turned into synthetic chemicals and fuels.
Converting wood could be done in three different ways, the first one being the biological process while the second one is the gasification process. The third method is the process developed by Dauenhauer and is termed as the partial oxidation method, which involves the process of heating wood quickly in a low-oxygen presence and then rapidly cooling it off.
The resultant product is a liquid termed as bio-oil that looks like petroleum but actually is very different, chemically. The brown, goopy material can then be taken towards a process for making chemicals and fuels. The properties possessed by wood plant cells are so different, turning wood into liquid is possible within short time periods.
Source: http://www.umass.edu/