Category: Research

Indian researchers produce chemicals from glycerin

Indian researchers produce chemicals from glycerin

December 7, 2017 |

In India, Outlook India is reporting that researchers from Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division together with colleagues from the National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms Center, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune have developed a method to produce 2,3- butanediol (BDO), 1,3- Propanediol (PDO)  – along with acetoin and ethanol from glycerol using bacterial strains. By integrating […]

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University of Bristol researchers develop way to convert ethanol into butanol from fermentation broths

University of Bristol researchers develop way to convert ethanol into butanol from fermentation broths

December 6, 2017 |

In the UK, chemists at the University of Bristol have made the first steps towards making sustainable petrol using beer as a key ingredient. Scientists from the University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry have been working for several years to develop technology that will convert widely-available ethanol into butanol. This has already been demonstrated in […]

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AABGU researchers see promise in poultry waste for renewable heat and power

AABGU researchers see promise in poultry waste for renewable heat and power

December 5, 2017 |

In New York state, American Associates—Ben Gurion University of the Negev scientists have found a new use for turkey leftovers. It’s not about the meat — it’s about the poop. The researchers believe turkey and other poultry waste hold promise as a renewable fuel for heat and electricity. The scientists believe treated poultry waste could replace […]

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Japanese researchers develop new solvent for biomass

Japanese researchers develop new solvent for biomass

December 4, 2017 |

In Japan, Kanazawa University researchers developed a novel carboxylate-type liquid zwitterion as a solvent of biomass, which could dissolve cellulose with very low toxicity to microorganisms. Use of this novel solvent enables significant reduction of energy cost for ethanol production from non-food biomass. They succeeded in reducing the toxicity to microorganisms by developing a novel […]

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Type of algae in recycled water matters for biofuel production

Type of algae in recycled water matters for biofuel production

December 1, 2017 |

In North Carolina, Duke University researcher, Sarah Loftus, found that what kind of algae used the water last matters when growing algae for biofuels. She found that the type of algae previously grown in the reused water made a difference in algae cultivation. Algae secrete molecules into the water as they grow and the build-up […]

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University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute produce coal replacement

University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute produce coal replacement

November 30, 2017 |

In Minnesota, after 10 years of research, the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute delivered solid results this fall. As in solid biofuels. By the ton. Starting at the bench scale in 2003 and fiddling with mixture after mixture, NRRI is now able to produce solid biofuels that perform at comparable energy values to […]

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More Brazilian ethanol could replace up to 13.7% of crude oil consumption by 2045

More Brazilian ethanol could replace up to 13.7% of crude oil consumption by 2045

November 29, 2017 |

In Brazil, expansion of sugarcane cultivation in Brazil for ethanol production in areas not under environmental protection or reserved for food production could potentially replace up to 13.7% of world crude oil consumption and reduce global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by as much as 5.6% by 2045. These estimates come from an international study […]

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Washington University researchers refine metabolic pathways of microbes

Washington University researchers refine metabolic pathways of microbes

November 28, 2017 |

In Missouri, scientists have previously engineered metabolic pathways of microbes, making them tiny biofuel factories. Now, new research from an engineer at Washington University in St. Louis further refines the process, stitching together the best bits of several different bacteria to synthesize a new biofuel product that matches current engines better than previously produced biofuels. […]

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Indonesian researchers develop Borneo Atlas to map palm oil production

Indonesian researchers develop Borneo Atlas to map palm oil production

November 27, 2017 |

In Indonesia, researchers from the Center for International Forestry Research have developed the Borneo Atlas, mapping the location and ownership of 467 palm-oil mills on Borneo, in an effort to help buyers ensure palm oil purchased doesn’t negatively impact forests. So far, 90% of the island’s palm oil production has been mapped. The map is […]

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Canola study shows no greater threat to specialty seed producers

Canola study shows no greater threat to specialty seed producers

November 26, 2017 |

In Oregon, an Oregon State University study has been turned over to the Oregon Department of Agriculture so they can make recommendations for canola cultivation in the Willamette Valley region. The study says canola doesn’t pose any greater threat to specialty seed producers than other species and that canola production can coexist with the specialty […]

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