Research Area: Oil and gas processing

Optimisation of the one-step production of high-quality bio-oil

Project Number: 6455

Project Duration: 15. August 2009 - 14. August 2012

Project Director: Tanja Barth, UIB
Division Head: Dag Schanke, Statoil

"Utilizing my chemistry background, I aim to predict product properties of bio-oils from biomass to establish a renewable and economical production of liquid bio-fuel and value-add bulk chemicals. For this, I use fast fingerprint analytics supported by statistics to decipher chemical reaction pathways and interlink these with key process parameters."

Objective

The main objective of the project is to identify critical parameters in solvolytic conversion of lignin and other refractory biopolymers with regard to efficient, simultaneous depolymerisation and hydrodeoxygenation, using formic acid as a hydrogenation agent.

This knowledge will be used to simplify the production process and improve the product quality. Thus, the presently unknown reaction mechanisms must be explored, and based on the mechanistical understanding the process can be improved in terms of efficiency and product quality. Improved analytical protocols are also needed for reliable product quality evaluation and process optimisation.

The project contains two integrated work packages on organic synthesis/process optimisation and development of analytical protocols for quality evaluation.