https://phys.org/news/2024-09-seaweeds-raw-materials-aviation-fuel.html
"A new technology has been developed to convert common seaweeds such as
Kkosiraegi, which are often used in cooking, into high-quality sources for both
bio-aviation fuels and energy storage devices. The results were published in
the
Chemical Engineering Journal.
Dr. Kyoungseon Min's research team at the Gwangju Clean Energy Energy Research
Center of the Korea Institute of Energy Research, in collaboration with Kangwon
National University, has developed a process to produce enantioselective
bio-aviation fuel precursors [(R)-gamma-valerolactone] from seaweed. The
residual biomass from this production process can also be used as anode
materials for lithium-ion batteries.
The utilization of marine biomass, like seaweed, in biorefineries can lead to
the production of fuels and chemicals, replacing the need for traditional
petroleum-based chemical production. Recently, seaweed has gained attention as
a raw material for bio-aviation fuel, as applying bio-aviation fuel can reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by up to 82% compared to conventional aviation fuel.
As a result, the eco-friendly bio-aviation fuel market is expected to account
for 35% of the total aviation fuel market by 2070.
Among the commercialized bio-aviation fuel production processes, the method
with the greatest greenhouse gas reduction effect is the sugar-to-jet
technology. Through a pre-treatment process, biomass is converted into
fermentable sugars, which are utilized as a carbon source for microbial
fermentation to produce the precursors necessary for bio-aviation fuel
production.
However, the pre-treatment process is complex, and the reactions require
high-pressure hydrogen, making the process costly. Additionally, the amount of
precursor produced through this process is only about 15% of the fermentable
sugars used, indicating a need for overall improvement in efficiency.
To address these challenges, the research team developed a levulinic acid-based
process that generates precursors through a one-step enzymatic reaction instead
of microbial fermentation. Using this process, seaweed can be converted into
levulinic acid with simple acid treatment, and through an enzymatic reaction,
it produces (R)-gamma-valerolactone [(R)-GVL], which has more value-added
utility than traditional precursors.
The key to this process is directly converting levulinic acid into a precursor
through an enzymatic reaction. Seaweeds like Kkosiraegi are converted into
levulinic acid with just an acid treatment. Then, using an engineered enzyme
developed by the research team, the precursor (R)-GVL is produced. Unlike
conventional processes that require microbial fermentation of biomass, this
method only relies on an enzymatic reaction, allowing for the production of 10
times more precursor from the same amount of biomass."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
