Novel Processes and Feedstocks for Producing Biofuels

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Novel Processes and Feedstocks for Producing
Biofuels Rafael Hernandez, Todd French, Mark
Bricka, Andro Mondala, Jacklyn Hall, and Mark
White Mississippi State University
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Statistics on Soy Biodiesel Production and
Feedstock Availability

• Soybean oil production 2.75x109 gal in 2006 no
  significant increase predicted in 2008.
• Consumption by the food industry reached 2.32x109
  gal in 2006.
• Projection of 1.5x109 gal of biodiesel production
  in 2008 would require 1.65x109 gal of soybean
  oil.
• There is a need to search for other low-cost and
  abundant feedstock.
• Potential to produce oil from existing WWTF
  7x109 gallons

US Soybean Oil Production in billion pounds
(1981-2006)
US Biodiesel Consumption (1999-2006)
Source http//www.soystats.com/2007/Default-frame
s.htm
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Wastewater Treatment Facilities A New Source of
Crude WTFs could be modified to generate large
quantities of lipids for the Production of Fuels
and Chemicals. There is at least a WTF in
every State of the Nation
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State of the Science

• Primary and secondary sludge from the Tuscaloosa
  Wastewater Treatment Facility has been extracted
  and converted into fatty acid methyl esters
  (FAMEs)
• Yields of 1 gallon FAMEs/100 lbs of sludge
  (3.08/gallon) and 2 gallons of FAMEs/100 lbs of
  sludge (2.08/gallon) were obtained for secondary
  and primary sludge, respectively. An estimated 1
  billion gallons of oil could be obtained from
  conventional WWTF.

• Oleaginous microorganisms can accumulate more
  than 50 of their dry weight in oil.
• Secondary sludge oil yield may be increase by a
  factor of 8 (8 gallons of FAMEs/100 lbs sludge)
  using these microbes
• Wastewater treatment facilities has the potential
  of generating 7 billions gallons of oil per year

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Envisioned Process The New Biorefineries
Lignocellulose
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Environmentally Sustainable Fuel Production
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Tall Oil Industry

• By-product of the pulp and paper industry
• Producers
• Arizona Chemical, Georgia-Pacific, Eastman
  Chemical, and MeadWestvaco
• Products
• Specialty chemicals, inks, paper sizing agents,
  rubber, etc.
• Approximately 50 Mgallons of tall oil could
  be available for biodiesel production

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Tall Oil Biodiesel - ASTM D-6751
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Chinese Tallow (Popcorn Tree) Sapium sebiferum
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Potential Oil Seed Yields
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-
Ref Klass, Donald, Biomass for Renewable Energy,
Fuels, and Chemicals, Academic Press, 1998.
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CT Biodiesel Production Potential

• 20 Million Gallons
• 120,000 Acres of cultivation
• Only 10 of Mississippis Soybean
• Acres for 2002!

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Chinese Tallow Distribution in USA
Ref http//plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.
cgi?symbolTRSE6
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Acknowledgements

• US Department of Energy
• USEPA-Region 4
• MSDEQ
• Hilliard Fletcher Wastewater Treatment Plant,
  Tuscaloosa AL
• Colin Gurtowski Undergraduate research worker

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QUESTIONS?