生物航煤生产技术的发展现状

由于温室气体的大量排放和对化石燃料的高度依赖,航空业的可持续发展得到了全世界的关注。生物航煤被认为是一种有前景的传统航空燃料替代品。本文概述了制备生物航煤的代表性工艺技术路线、发展现状以及生物航煤产业发展所面临的机遇和挑战。迄今为止,已经有多种生物航煤制备工艺得到美国材料实验协会(American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM)认证。其中,酯和脂肪酸加氢是目前最为成熟、可以实现完全商业化的路径。考虑到技术经济性和成熟度,短期内,费托合成是比较有发展前景的工艺。     

加快推动生物制造创新研究

<正>生物制造作为生物产业的重要组成部分,是生物基产品实现产业化的基础平台,也是合成生物学等基础科学创新在具体过程中的应用。生物质是自然界唯一含碳的可再生能源,发展绿色生物制造生产燃料乙醇、生物柴油、生物航煤、生物甲烷以及各种化学品和可降解生物材料是其最佳利用途径。生物制造将从原料源头上降低碳排放、通过工业生物技术实现绿色清洁的生产工艺,将从根本上改变我国经济社会发展"高能耗、高排放"的现有模式。重大化工产品(化学品、能     

《生物技术世界》杂志稿约

《生物技术世界》杂志以传播生物技术前沿科学,引领生物技术发展潮流为目标,是涉及生物工程、生物技术、微生物学及相关领域的专业性期刊,报道我国生物技术研究开发及生物学相关领域的重要成果和国内外生物技术产业进展。向中国生物及其相关行业的企业家、技术决策者、生命科学的技术人员、生物产业的投资人提供国内外     

产业动向

<正>四川省生物产业2015年产值将达2000亿元为促进四川省生物产业持续快速健康发展,结合《四川省"十二五"战略性新兴产业发展规划》和《四川省生物产业"十二五"发展规划》,四川省发展改革委日前制定了《四川省生物产业发展规划实施方案(2013～2015年)》,明确了四川省2013～2015年生物产业发展的总体目标:到2015年,全省生物产业总产值达到2000亿元以上,年均增速保持在20%以上,实现增加值650亿元以上。到2017年,全     

《生物技术世界》杂志稿约

<正>《生物技术世界》杂志以传播生物技术前沿科学,引领生物技术发展潮流为目标,是涉及生物工程、生物技术、微生物学及相关领域的专业性期刊,报道我国生物技术研究开发及生物学相关领域的重要成果和国内外生物技术产业进展。向中国生物及其相关行业的企业家、技术决策者、生命科学的技术人员、生物产业的投资人提供国内外全面及时的生物技术、产品、市场等方面的信息,促进生物研究成果市场化,生物技术产业     

《生物技术世界》杂志稿约

《生物技术世界》杂志以传播生物技术前沿科学,引领生物技术发展潮流为目标,是涉及生物工程、生物技术、微生物学及相关领域的专业性期刊,报道我国生物技术研究开发及生物学相关领域的重要成果和国内外生物技术产业进展。向中国生物及其相关行业的企业家、技术决策者、生命科学的技术人员、生物产业的投资人提供国内外全面及时的生物技术、产品、市场等方面的信息,促进生物研究成果市场化,     

《生物技术世界》杂志稿约

<正>《生物技术世界》杂志以传播生物技术前沿科学,引领生物技术发展潮流为目标,是涉及生物工程、生物技术、微生物学及相关领域的专业性期刊,报道我国生物技术研究开发及生物学相关领域的重要成果和国内外生物技术产业进展。向中国生物及其相关行业的企业家、技术决策者、生命科学的技术人员、生物产业的投资人提供国内外全面及时的生物技术、产品、市场等方面的信息,促进生物研究成果市场化,     

《生物技术世界》杂志稿约

《生物技术世界》杂志以传播生物技术前沿科学,引领生物技术发展潮撇为目标,是涉及生物工程、生物技术、微生物学及相关领域的专业性期刊,报道我国生物技术研究开发及生物学相关领域的重要成果和国内外生物技术产业进展。向中国生物及其相关行业的企业家、技术决策者、生命科学的技术人员、生物产业的投资人提供国内外全面及时的生物技术、产品、市场等方面的信息,促进生物研究成果市场化,     

《生物技术世界》杂志稿约

<正>《生物技术世界》杂志以传播生物技术前沿科学,引领生物技术发展潮流为目标,是涉及生物工程、生物技术、微生物学及相关领域的专业性期刊,报道我国生物技术研究开发及生物学相关领域的重要成果和国内外生物技术产业进展。向中国生物及其相关行业的企业家、技术决策者、生命科学的技术人员、生物产业的投资人提供国内外全面及时的生物技术、产品、市场等方面的信息,促进生物研究成果市场化,     

《生物技术世界》杂志稿约

正《生物技术世界》杂志以传播生物技术前沿科学,引领生物技术发展潮流为目标,是涉及生物工程、生物技术、微生物学及相关领域的专业性期刊,报道我国生物技术研究开发及生物学相关领域的重要成果和国内外生物技术产业进展。向中国生物及其相关行业的企业家、技术决策者、生命科学的技术人员、生物产业的投资人提供国内外全面及时的生物技术、产品、市场等方面的信息,促进生物研究成果市场化,     

Environmental and techno-economic analyses of bio-jet fuel produced from jatropha and castor oilseeds in China

Purpose

Bio-jet fuel derived from energy crops has been promoted by governments around the world through policies such as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. The environmental impact and techno-economic analysis of bio-jet fuel are particularly pertinent to China because China is under huge pressure to reduce emissions, endeavouring to meet bio-economic goals.

Methods

An LCA study was conducted on the production of bio-jet fuel from jatropha and castor by estimating the well-to-wake emissions and its economic impact. The functional unit was 1 MJ of bio-jet fuel, and field survey data was used in inventory analysis. A scenario analysis was performed to measure diverse conditions, including the planting conditions, planting regions, allocation methods, and hydrogen sources. A techno-economic analysis that combined the production costs and co-product credits was performed to calculate the minimum bio-jet fuel selling price (MJSP) based on a plant capacity of 2400 metric tonnes of feedstock per day.

Results and discussion

Compared to the environmental impacts to the fossil jet fuel, the use of biofuel would reduce the majority environmental impacts by 36–85%, when a 1:1 displacement of fossil jet fuel is considered, though the human toxicity potential impact was 100% higher. The scenario analysis indicated that (i) planting castor in harsh and unevenly distributed conditions and jatropha in stable or fertile conditions can leverage their respective advantage; (ii) the global warming potential (GWP) from castor planting in the region of north-east China ranges from 34 to 48 g CO₂ eq/MJ; (iii) the GWP produced through the steam methane reforming process can be reduced by 16–17%, using advances in technological processes. The MJSP for fuel produced from jatropha and castor under the basic scenario is estimated to be 5.68 and 4.66 CNY/kg, respectively, which falls within the current market price range of 4.5–7.5 CNY/kg.

Conclusions

Bio-jet fuel from jatropha and castor oilseeds offers potential environmental benefits if they can reduce fossil jet fuel on an energy-equivalent basis. However, these benefits are likely to be reduced by the rebound effect of the fuel market. Future research is needed to better understand the magnitude of the rebound effect in China and what policy interventions can be implemented to alleviate it. Scenario analysis demonstrated the feasibility and potential of bio-jet fuel development from multiple perspectives and technological progress are conducive to the realization of environmental protection policies.

     

Hydrocracking of the oils of Botryococcus braunii to transport fuels

Hydrocarbon oils of the alga Botryococcus braunii, extracted from a natural "bloom" of the plant, have been hydrocracked to produce a distillate comprising 67% gasoline fraction, 15% aviation turbine fuel fraction, 15% diesel fuel fraction, and 3% residual oil. The distillate was examined by a number of standard petroleum industry test methods. This preliminary investigation indicates that the oils of B. braunii are suitable as a feedstock material for hydrocracking to transport fuels.     

Biodiesel production from various feedstocks and their effects on the fuel properties

Biodiesel, which is a new, renewable and biological origin alternative diesel fuel, has been receiving more attention all over the world due to the energy needs and environmental consciousness. Biodiesel is usually produced from food-grade vegetable oils using transesterification process. Using food-grade vegetable oils is not economically feasible since they are more expensive than diesel fuel. Therefore, it is said that the main obstacle for commercialization of biodiesel is its high cost. Waste cooking oils, restaurant greases, soapstocks and animal fats are potential feedstocks for biodiesel production to lower the cost of biodiesel. However, to produce fuel-grade biodiesel, the characteristics of feedstock are very important during the initial research and production stage since the fuel properties mainly depend on the feedstock properties. This review paper presents both biodiesel productions from various feedstocks and their effects on the fuel properties. JIMB 2008: BioEnergy - Special issue.     

High-value oils from plants

The seed oils of domesticated oilseed crops are major agricultural commodities that are used primarily for nutritional applications, but in recent years there has been increasing use of these oils for production of biofuels and chemical feedstocks. This is being driven in part by the rapidly rising costs of petroleum, increased concern about the environmental impact of using fossil oil, and the need to develop renewable domestic sources of fuel and industrial raw materials. There is also a need to develop sustainable sources of nutritionally important fatty acids such as those that are typically derived from fish oil. Plant oils can provide renewable sources of high-value fatty acids for both the chemical and health-related industries. The value and application of an oil are determined largely by its fatty acid composition, and while most vegetable oils contain just five basic fatty acid structures, there is a rich diversity of fatty acids present in nature, many of which have potential usage in industry. In this review, we describe several areas where plant oils can have a significant impact on the emerging bioeconomy and the types of fatty acids that are required in these various applications. We also outline the current understanding of the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms of seed oil production, and the challenges and potential in translating this knowledge into the rational design and engineering of crop plants to produce high-value oils in plant seeds.     

Biorefinery Developments for Advanced Biofuels from a Sustainable Array of Biomass Feedstocks: Survey of Recent Biomass Conversion Research from Agricultural Research Service

When the USA passed the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) of 2007 into law, it mandated that, by the year 2022, 36 billion gallons of biofuels be produced annually in the USA to displace petroleum. This targeted quota, which required that at least half of domestic transportation fuel be “advanced biofuels” either produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks or be a sustainable liquid fuel other than corn ethanol or biodiesel from vegetable oils, will not likely be met due to the difficulty in commercializing alternative biofuels. The number one cost to a biorefinery is the biomass feedstock cost. Thus, it is important that research into biorefinery strategies be closely coupled to advances in crop science that account for crop yield and crop quality. To reach the RFS targets, stepwise progress in biorefinery technology is needed, as the industry moves from corn ethanol toward utilizing a wider array of lignocellulose-based biomass feedstocks. In 2010, the US Department of Agriculture created five Regional Biomass Research Centers to optimize production, collection, and conversion of crops to bioenergy, thus building a network that fosters collaboration among researchers to improve the biorefinery industry. An important component of the five Regional Biomass Research Centers is the four USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) regional utilization laboratories located across the country. These USDA ARS labs were originally set up by their commodities, whereby, in broad terms, the Northern Lab, now NCAUR, focused on corn and soy; the Eastern Lab on oils, leather, dairy, and meats; the Southern Lab on cotton, sugars, and fibers; and the Western Lab on other grains, including wheat and specialty crops. Each lab’s traditional expertise in these respective core commodity crops has been maintained as biofuel research came to the fore, but with the addition of new crops and biotechnological expertise, these labs often collaborate with each other, as will be revealed below. This review outlines some of the recent advances from the ARS labs in developing new bioprocessing strategies required to develop bioenergy from new crop sources.     

Biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas: a critical review

The fuel crisis and environmental concerns, mainly due to global warming, have led researchers to consider the importance of biofuels such as biodiesel. Vegetable oils, which are too viscous to be used directly in engines, are converted into their corresponding methyl or ethyl esters by a process called transesterification. With the recent debates on “food versus fuel,” non-edible oils, such as Jatropha curcas, are emerging as one of the main contenders for biodiesel production. Much research is still needed to explore and realize the full potential of a green fuel from J. curcas. Upcoming projects and plantations of Jatropha in countries such as India, Malaysia, and Indonesia suggest a promising future for this plant as a potential biodiesel feedstock. Many of the drawbacks associated with chemical catalysts can be overcome by using lipases for enzymatic transesterification. The high cost of lipases can be overcome, to a certain extent, by immobilization techniques. This article reviews the importance of the J. curcas plant and describes existing research conducted on Jatropha biodiesel production. The article highlights areas where further research is required and relevance of designing an immobilized lipase for biodiesel production is discussed.     

Synthesis and characterization of vegetable oil derived esters: evaluation for their diesel additive properties

Trans-esterification of four vegetable oils; canola oil, greenseed canola oil from heat-damaged seeds, processed waste fryer grease and unprocessed waste fryer grease, was carried out using methanol, and KOH as catalyst. The methyl esters of the corresponding oils were separated from the crude glycerol, purified, and characterized by various methods to evaluate their densities, viscosities, iodine values, acid numbers, cloud points, pour points and gross heat of combustion, fatty acid and lipid compositions, lubricity properties, and thermal properties. The fatty acid composition suggests that 80-85% of the ester was from unsaturated acids. Substantial decrease in density and viscosity of the methyl esters compared to their corresponding oils suggested that the oils were in their mono or di glyceride form. The lubricity of the methyl esters, when blended at 1 vol% treat rate with ISOPAR M reference fuel, showed that the canola methyl ester enhanced the fuel's lubricity number. From the analyses performed, it was determined that the ester with the most potential for being an additive or a substitute for diesel fuel is the canola methyl ester, whose physical and chemical characteristics are similar to diesel fuel.     

Fish oils and aggression or hostility

Fish oils have long been known to protect the heart from ischemic heart disease and fatal arrhythmia. Recently they have also been suggested to protect the heart in a literal sense! Although not all reports on fish oils and psychiatric disorder support the latter notion, many of them claim that fish oils were effective. The point is that, different from currently prescribed psychiatric medicines, fish oils do not do harm to any part of the body. We have been working on the effects of fish oils on aggressive behavior and hostility. Unfortunately this area of research is not mature yet. The number of related papers is rather limited, so we will take aggression and/or hostility in a broader sense including oppositional behavior, violence etc. in this review. We found fourteen intervention studies checking the effects of fish oils on aggressive behavior. Eleven of them showed the aggression/hostility-controlling effects of fish oils one way or another. We did not try to summarize those effects by meta-analysis, because we thought that the methods of research were too heterogeneous. The mechanisms as to how fish oils affect aggression/hostility is not clear yet, but several possible mechanisms have been postulated. Among them, activation of the serotonergic neuron system is the most promising. The research area of fish oils and aggression/hostility is clearly important from the medical and social points of view.     

Comparison of biodegradability of crude and fuel oils.

Crude and fuel oils were compared for ability to support growth of a mixed population of estuarine bacteria. A total of four oils, two crude and two fuel oils, were examined. It was found that each of the oils supported a unique population of bacteria and yeasts, with respect to generic composition. Low-sulfur, high-saturate, South Louisiana crude oil was found to be highly susceptible to degradation. In contrast, the dense, high-sulfur, high-aromatic, Bunker C fuel oil was strongly refractory to microbial degradation.