The U.S. has abundant biomass resources and with the right technology, has the potential to convert these renewable resources into valuable industrial products and bio-fuels. However, current thermo-chemical processes to convert renewable feed-stocks to chemicals such as pyrolysis and gasification or low temperature enzymatic processes are simply not cost-competitive with conventional fossil-fuel based processes. Exelus has developed a technology that applies novel reaction and reactor concepts with environmentally benign heterogeneous catalysts in a multi-step process that deconstructs and stabilizes biomass before conversion to light olefins � ethylene and propylene. The single biggest economic driver of this technology is a large reduction in production costs by efficient utilization of bio-mass raw material as well as lower capital costs than conventional steam crackers by eliminating the need to run the process at high reaction temperatures. The technology has been demonstrated using a variety of biomass including pure cellulose, switch grass and pine sawdust.

Efficient production of light olefins from biomass

244th National Meeting (2012)

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