Have you ever really wanted to know the chemistry of converting biomass into usable compounds for fuels? A free seminar on “Catalytic Production of Fuels and Chemicals from Biomass Derived Oxygenated Hydrocarbons” on Thursday, March 13 at 2:30 p.m. in Mechanical Engineering Room 218 will feature Jim Dumesic from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin.
The seminar will present results for aqueous-phase and vapor-phase reforming of oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as glycerol and sorbitol, allowing a comparison and contrast of the reaction pathways for reforming and water-gas shift reactions in aqueous solutions versus in the gas phase. Dumesic will also show how gas mixtures of H² and CO can be produced at high rates and selectivities from glycerol over platinum-based bi-metallic catalysts at significantly lower temperatures than conventional biomass gasification.
There will be a demonstration of how hydrolymethylfurfural (HMF) can be formed in high yields by dehydration of carbohydrates in a biphasic reactor. The HMF product can be used as a high-value monomer for the polymer industry, or it can be converted catalytically to dimethylfuran for use as a high-octane blending agent in gasoline.
This seminar is sponsored by the Nanoscience and Microsystems (NSMS) Degree Program, the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) and the National Science Foundation Partnership for International Research and Education (NSF PIRE).