New Catalytic System for Biofuel Reactors

Scientists from the University of Minnesota in the United States, developed a catalytic system which can directly convert solid biomass into synthesis gas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) within a very short period of time. The synthesis gas then can be burned for power generation, or further processed into liquid biofuels.The biomass is first reduced mechanically to millimetre-sized particles, and then allowed to pass through a porous surface containing the catalyst (an element called Rhodium) at 700 to 800 degrees Celsius. The rhodium catalyst is said to facilitate “the partial oxidation reactions that keep the system hot and convert the gases to hydrogen and carbon monoxide”. The nature of the porous structure is the key feature for the fast formation of synthesis gas from solid biomass (about 70 milliseconds in the lab scale system). If the process is scaled up, it could offer a more energy-efficient method for biofuels production by allowing cost-efficient, compact and fast reactors which can be located close to biomass sources. 

Related information on synthesis gas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesis_gas