Research & Development

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5A3

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5C4

The conversion of a solvolysis lignin to useful chemicals and fuels was investigated using HZSM-5 catalyst. The study was carried out in a fixed bed reactor operating at atmospheric pressure, over a temperature range of 500°C–650°C, and weight hourly space velocities of 2.5 to 7.5 h−1. The major objective was to investigate the use of HZSM-5 catalyst in the production of both liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon products directly from the lignin. Conversion was high and ranged between 50% and 85% for the reaction conditions used. Using a WHSV of 5 h−1, the liquid product (LP) yield was 39 wt.% at 500°C but decreased to 34 wt.% at 600°C and then to 11 wt.% at 650°C. The highest yield of liquid product (43 wt.%) was obtained at 550°C with a WHSV of 5 h−1. In all the experiments, the liquid product mainly consisted of aromatic hydrocarbons (mostly benzene, toluene and xylene — with toluene dominating). The yield of toluene increased from 31 wt.% of the liquid product at 600°C (WHSV=2.5 h−1) to 44 wt.% at 650°C (WHSV=5 h−1). The total gas yield increased dramatically with increasing temperature but only moderately with increasing WHSV. The yields of the major components in the gas stream (propane, ethylene, propylene, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide) were greatly affected by temperature."

We've no idea what a "weight hourly space velocity (WHSV)" might be, but:

"HZSM-5 catalyst" is a zeolite, in all likelihood very similar to, or exactly the same as, the one specified by Exxon-Mobil in their "MTG", methanol-to-gasoline, Process; wherein the methanol is posited to be made from coal.

Since both lignin and, as we've earlier documented, cellulose, can both be converted into gasoline precursor hydrocarbons, 80% of a tree's weight can be converted into liquid transportation fuels, and most of that weight will be carbon recycled from atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.

Moreover, "benzene, toluene and xylene" are all useful as raw materials for synthesizing plastics, among other things, in addition to their use as building blocks for gasoline. Any of those compounds directed into plastics manufacturing would be, for all intents and purposes, along with their Carbon content, permanently "sequestered". Moreover, they, and their Carbon, would be sequestered for a profit, and not for a huge loss as would be incurred by pumping CO2 through miles of pipelines, and then stuffing it deep underground at high pressure, all to help Big Oil squeeze more of the stuff he extorts the rest of us with out of his drying-up reservoirs.

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