New liquid biofuel (dimethylfuran) better than ethanol. 1

[kenvlach]

A catalytic process for converting fructose (a common plant sugar, cheaper than sucrose) to a liquid fuel, 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), is faster and less energy-intensive than the principal ethanol production process. Plus, the fuel has a 40% higher energy density (ethanol can be considered partially oxidized ethane), etc.
The text of the article requires a subscription to Nature, but the abstract, Figures and Tables, and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION are free:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v447/n7147/abs/nature05923.html

Summaries can also be viewed here:

http://www.news.wisc.edu/13881

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070618/full/070618-10.html

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070623/fob6.asp

Ethanol production from corn is rather energy inefficient. The DMF production is much better:
"It's a very efficient process," says [UW Graduate student George] Huber. "The fuel produced contains 90 percent of the energy found in the carbohydrate and hydrogen feed. If you look at a carbohydrate source such as corn, our new process has the potential to creates twice the energy as is created in using corn to make ethanol."

About 67 percent of the energy required to make ethanol is consumed in fermenting and distilling corn. As a result, ethanol production creates 1.1 units of energy for every unit of energy consumed. In the UW-Madison process, the desired alkanes spontaneously separate from water. No additional heating or distillation is required. The result is the creation of 2.2 units of energy for every unit of energy consumed in energy production.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050603074123.htm

Basic data from CRC Handbook for DMF: C₆H₈O, melting point -62.8 °C, boiling point 93.5 °C, density 0.8883 g/cc at 20 °C.

More DMF info here:

http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/20240

So, energy savings vs. ethanol (ethanol production is subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of $0.50 per gallon), so lower taxes!
High energy density & easy to store & transport. Maybe can forget about hydrogen for vehicles?
Improve peoples' health by reducing the sweetener in soda (high-fructose corn syrup)!

Comments?

 

[Lou Scannon]

I'm not a chemist, so I'm not qualified to challenge the chemical claims. The OP does not mention the fuel's characteristics as an Otto or Diesel cycle fuel. These would be critical to the fuel's utility, I think.

 

[kenvlach]

The Science Daily article is titled Green Diesel: New Process Makes Liquid Transportation Fuel From Plants and refers to DMF as "a diesel-like liquid fuel."

Of course, there will be some difficulties in application. Probably first use will be in a diesel blend. Maybe also as an octane booster for gasoline.

Both the University of Wisconsin group cited above and researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington (state) are working on fuel from glucose, a cheaper source than fructose. The latter group has published results [Science 15 June 2007, pp. 1597 - 1600] in which the intermediary hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was produced by a one-stage catalytic reaction. The Wisconsin group uses a two-stage reaction to transform the HMF to DMF.

 

[firefrog]

Eeeewww!
Every time I hear of dioxans or furans I shudder. These are the same things that have killed many streams and rivers with pulp mills located on them. Granted, some derivatives of harmful parent-compounds are quite benign. In other instances, it takes a generation to realize and/or admit the true dangers. Have you heard that tune before? IMHO there are NO safe chemicals.

 

[kenvlach]

Not much toxicity info. Gasoline has surely killed more people than nearly any other chemical, though.

MSDS for 2,5-Dimethylfuran (CAS # 625-86-5):

https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/03657.htm

 

[patprimmer]

I have concerns about furanes and toxicity.

I also have concerns about the lack of info in the MSDS.

I thought (from memory) hexane was a major component in current petrol or gasoline.



Regards

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[kenvlach]

We'll surely hear more about both the toxicity & combustibility of DMF in the future. Not soon enough to stop price increases in chicken, pork, milk & cheese due to the corn-into-ethanol frenzy. The base price for cheese has increased from $1.17 to $2.08/pound in the past year -- Pizza Makers Face Higher Cheese Costs

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/22/ap3850420.html

Plus, the US is being cluttered up with taxpayer-subsidized ethanol plants. Soon to be white elephants IMHO.

 

[globi5]

You can still gain more energy from algae than any other plant:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture

And oil from algae is non-toxic.
The disadvantage of an algae culture is that it most probably needs to be grown in a closed environment/room and thus increase the production-costs.

Then of course a solar power plant can still harvest more energy from a given area than an algae culture can. And once a solar power plant is installed, there are no machines required to harvest any plants. Furthermore an electric motor is more efficient than any combustion engine.
Obviously, electric energy gained from solar power plants, can power plug-in hybrids and eletrically powered trains, but no ships and aircrafts. (At least not with the technologies available today.)

 

[swall]

Pat, you must be thinking of n-heptane. Used to be that gasoline was nominally a blend of iso-octane and n-heptane.

 

[patprimmer]

You are correct. It is heptane I was thinking of.

Regards

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[drwebb]

Gasoline is a chemical mixture of hundreds of hydrocarbons of varying formula and structure and, in the US, about 10% oxygenate (now ethanol, formerly MTBE). The particular composition of the blend varies from refinery to refinery and seasonally as well.

Furans are an entire class of compounds. Health concerns over paper mill effluents primarily concern polychlorinated dibenzo-furan compounds, commonly referred to as 'furan' in that context. Besides being structurally different there is no chlorine in 2,5-dimethyl furan, nor is there likely to be any formed by the process under consideration.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Another possibly interesting link:

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/June/20060701.asp

 

[swall]

Earlier this year, I saw an article about work on a genetically modified enzyme that had the potential to make butyl alchohol from corn. Similar benefits as with DMF--higher energy density, direct replacement for gasoline with similar yield compared to ethanol fermentation. I haven't heard anything since.

 

[thruthefence]

I think the ethanol "buzz" in the media, via the futures markets, is doing more to drive up the price of corn then the actual conversion of corn to ethanol.