One of the major concerns for biofuel producers has been the material used to manufacture biofuel. No one wants to use food crops if that can be avoided, but there are also price concerns. But what if sawdust is an option?

Sawdust is waste and easily obtained, along with a long list of plant materials that may have just become options for making biofuels thanks to a breakthrough in converting plant molecules into liquid hydrocarbons. Yuan Kou, a researcher at Peking University in Beijing, China have found a reaction for breaking down lignin — the molecule in plants used to create biofuels — that reliably converts more of a plant's lignin into the alkanes and alchohols used in biofuel. Other reactions are inefficient.

Kou's team used hot pressurised water, known as near-critical water, as a slovent for the reaction and add a platinum-carbon catalyst and dioxane as an organic additive. The combination created high yields, even from plant matter not known for biofuel applications. One of Kou's team members, Ning Yan, said, "For the first time, we have produced alkanes, the main component of gasoline and diesel, from lignin, and biomethanol becomes available."

This reaction, with further research, may provide a clear route to cheaper biofuels.

Photo — Steve Lodefink