DOW and NREL Collaborate on Biomass to Ethanol Technology by ThermoChemical Route

Biomass is usually converted to ethanol using the biochemical or thermochemical route. Cellulose from biomass is broken down into simple sugars and then fermented by microorganisms into ethanol in the biochemical route. The thermochemical route, on the other hand, usually involves the (1) thermal gasification of the biomass into “synthesis gas” (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen), followed by (2) a catalytic conversion of the synthesis gas (often by a process known as “Fischer Tropsch Process”), into a hydrocarbon mixture which can be used as synthetic biofuel. The American chemical company, DOW, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the United States Department of Energy (US-DOE) have agreed to jointly develop a technology for converting biomass to ethanol via a thermochemical route.  According to the NREL press release, “a mixed alcohol catalyst from Dow is seen as the key to unlocking the potential for this promising renewable energy resource”, and “Dow’s technology helps convert the synthesis gas into a mixture of alcohols including ethanol that can be used as transportation fuels or chemical building blocks”.

Related information on Biomass to Liquids Technology
http://bionicfuel.blogspot.com/2007/04/btl-biomass-to-liquid-for-dummies.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_to_liquid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer_Tropsch