Biofuel production from corn residues by thermochemical conversion

Declining fossil oil reserves, skyrocketing prices, unsecured supplies, and environmental pollution are among the many energy problems we are facing today. It is our conviction that renewable energy is a solution to these problems. The objective of this research is to study and develop thermochemical processes for converting bulky and low-energy-density biomass materials into biofuels and value-added bio-products. In our study, a Parr high-pressure-reactor was used for the hydrothermal process. Supercritical water condition was created at high pressure (374C, 22.1MPa). Corn residue was used as a model feedstock. Process variables to be studied include temperature, time, catalysts, solid loading, gas composition, and liquid composition. The products from the supercritical water assisted reactions consist of three phases: water soluble phase, heavy oil phase and gaseous phase. The yields and chemical properties of individual phases were also determined. On the other hand, a novel pyrolytic process for the recovery of fuel gas and liquid from agricultural wastes was developed. This new process is an environmental-friendly technique in which energy transfer to the waste occurs by microwave radiation; it has shown several advantages over conventional pyrolytic processes and represents a new opportunity to use pyrolysis to treat solid wastes as it overcomes the major difficulties that arise from other alternative methods.