The status of emerging renewable fuel technologies (e.g., Syntroleum’s Bio-Synfining) are reviewed & an analysis of the yields from steam cracking renewable naphtha is given.
Technology and cost of production estimates to convert biomass into acetyls at commercial scale capacities based on both fermentation and thermochemical (gasification) platforms is reviewed. Acetyl integration opportunities and economics of acetic anhydride, VAM, and ethyl/butyl acetates produced via traditional petrochemical routes are compared to the potential "green" routes.
The technology and economics of ethanol manufacture are presented. U.S. based corn dry milling, wheat fermentation, switchgrass fermentation with power production and a Brazilian sugarcane fermentation case are assessed. A thermochemical approach, biomass gasification to mixed alcohols is included.
On-purpose propylene production technologies and economics for the following developing processes: ethane steam cracking/dimerization/ metathesis, glycerin dehydrogenation/propanol dehydration, raffinate-1 isomerization & metathesis, and oxidative dehydrogenation of propane are detailed in the report.
The chemistry, process technology and production economics for six different routes to “green” propylene are presented. Feedstocks for the various approaches include ethanol, biobutanol, biomass, and vegetable oil. Regional supply/demand forecasts for propylene are also provided.
Latest process technologies for producing biodiesel are assessed. Axen’s Esterfip-H™ process and Neste Oil’s NExBTL® process are analyzed and production economics are compared to conventional base-catalyzed process.
Various approaches for biomass gasification are assessed including pyrolysis, staged gasification, and indirect gasification. Associated issues such as biomass availability and downstream syngas-based technologies, such as fermentation, mixed alcohols synthesis and FT syntheses are presented. A case study comparing the production economics of n-butanol via biomass gasification versus conventional propylene oxo synthesis is given.
The chemistry and technology for converting crude biodiesel-derived glycerin to propylene glycol are assessed. Process technologies developed by Davy, UOP and Senergy are reviewed and the COP economics for this conversion is compared to conventional propylene oxide hydrolysis. Market information for glycerin and propylene glycol is included.
Conversion costs of sugar-cane and corn-based ethanol to ethylene and then to polyethylene are compared to the costs of polyethylene made from ethylene produced in an ethane cracker. The costs of biomass gasification to syngas to methanol to ethylene (via MTO) and finally to polyethylene are compared to the above routes.
The various approaches for converting renewable feedstocks to liquids that can serve, as close as possible, to “drop-in” replacements for or blend-stocks with petroleum-based gasoline are assessed.