Gasoline production from sawdust and grass

George Huber and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst are working on converting sawdust and grass into "green" gasoline, a fuel that can be used for existing vehicles.

In the next few years, this clean fuel source will become the main source of energy for the engines. "You will not realize it's green unless someone tells you the sign is because carbon emissions from this gasoline are zero because it's re-used . " Says George Huber.

Picture 1 of Gasoline production from sawdust and grass
George Huber is holding "green gas" from sawdust and hay (Source: LiveScience)

"Green gas" is produced by fluidized bed pyrolysis technique . In particular, the catalyst is a material that causes a specific chemical reaction to occur faster than the normal conversion of lignocellulose into gasoline.

The fast pyrolysis process speeds up the process of converting carbon into smoke instead of coal as slow pyrolysis.

The boiling range maximizes exposure and incorporates gas smoke from the pyrolysis catalyst and solid catalyst.

Currently, a gallon of gasoline using this technology takes 45 pounds of cost for sawdust. However, this technology will be ideal when inputs do not need anything other than sawdust and air and are placed where the plant is available.

"Technology will soon be used to make gasoline in factories and when oil prices increase, it will be an opportunity for engineers, " George Huber said. "This will be a fuel solution for the future . "