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Title: Application of Alkoxyalkanoates (AOAs) as Renewable Diesel Blendstocks from Chemical Coupling of High-Yield Fermentation Products

Journal Article · · Energy and Fuels
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4];  [4];  [1]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Bioresource and Environmental Security Department, Sandia National Laboratories, 7011 East Avenue, Livermore, California94550, United States
  2. Biomaterials and Biomanufacturing Department, Sandia National Laboratories, 7011 East Avenue, Livermore, California94550, United States
  3. Systems Assessment Group, Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois60439, United States
  4. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, 9 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut06511, United States
  5. Department of Chemistry, University of Scranton, 204 Monroe Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania18510, United States
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Combustion of liquid fossil fuels for transportation is a major source of carbon emissions only partially offset by the incumbent renewable alternatives–biodiesel, renewable diesel, and ethanol. New renewable ground transportation fuels derived from abundant sources of biomass, and utilizing carbon-efficient bioprocessing, are needed to further offset fossil fuel use. Low carbon intensity liquid fuels are especially required for medium- to heavy-duty engine architectures supporting the long-range transportation fleet. Realization of substantial carbon efficiency gains in renewable fuel production can be achieved by extending feedstocks beyond lipids, which are the primary bioderived source material for biodiesel and renewable diesel. Toward these ends, chemical upgrading of the high carbon yield, central metabolism-derived intermediates, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and 4-hydroxybutyrate with various fermentation-derived alcohols was accomplished using standard chemical transformations to provide a class of compounds that show promise as an alternative to petroleum diesel. Here, fuel property testing of these C7–C22 hydroxyalkanoate-derived compounds demonstrated improved cold temperature performance compared to biodiesel (cloud point temperatures < –50 °C) and improved derived cetane number (DCN) and sooting metrics compared to renewable diesel, providing the technical basis for a new high-performance renewable blendstock for decarbonization of heavy-duty transport.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0003525; AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1902479
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1923658; OSTI ID: 2328078
Journal Information:
Energy and Fuels, Journal Name: Energy and Fuels Vol. 37 Journal Issue: 3; ISSN 0887-0624
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Figures / Tables (8)

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