Summary of the alcohol research program at the first naval fuel depot

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1945

OSTI ID:5192301

Yamamoto, Q

The Japanese Navy had studied alcohol production since before 1930, and the Navy operated several synthetic and fermentation alcohol plants during World War II. The Navy started using methanol as aviation fuel in 1940, to take advantage of its extremely high latent heat of vaporization. In producing mthanol, a zinc and copper chromite catalyst was most satisfactory because it gave a high heat resistance and a good space time yield. Studies were also made toward producing methanol from CO/sub 2/ and H/sub 2/, which were waste gases from butanol fermentation. As in the water gas process, a space time yield of about 0.5 was obtained, but the process was not used commercially because the butanol fermentation program was ended. Butanol had been produced from acetylene and by fermentation of sugar by bacteria. Yields from the fermentation process could include 20% butanol and 10% acetone, or else 45% ethanol, depending on conditions, so the butanol plants were converted to produce ethanol from grain and sweet potatoes. There was difficulty with use of ethanol as aviation fuel because of its low volatility, low anti-knock properties, and corrosive action on metals. Ethyl ether and acetone were tested as additives to increase volatility. Ethyl ether improved starting and acceleration of aviation engines in cold weather, and acetone increased both volatility and antiknocking properties. Either ethyl ether and acetone could be prepared in about 90% yield from ethanol. Ethyl ether was produced at 200/sup 0/C with acid clay catalyst; acetone was produced at 430/sup 0/C with a catalyst of zinc and iron oxides.

• Research Organization: Corporate Unverified
• OSTI ID: 5192301
• Report Number(s): TOM-231-571-573
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090210 -- Alcohol Fuels-- Properties-- (1976-1989)
090221 -- Alcohol Fuels-- Chemical Synthesis-- (1976-1989)
090222* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ACETONE
ADDITIVES
ALCOHOLS
AVIATION FUELS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
BIOSYNTHESIS
BUTANOLS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CEREALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLAYS
COPPER
CORROSION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINES
ENTHALPY
ETHANOL
ETHERS
ETHYL ETHER
EVALUATION
FERMENTATION
FOOD
FUELS
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IGNITION
IRON
KETONES
METALS
METHANOL
MINERALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANTS
PRODUCTION
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SYNTHESIS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSITION HEAT
USES
VAPORIZATION HEAT
VEGETABLES
VOLATILITY
YAMS
ZINC