Research Projects

 

Research Overview

UMaine’s DOE EPSCoR research cluster is implementing new catalyst R&D infrastructure and addressing fundamental science and engineering pathways for thermochemical conversion of woody biomass to fuels and chemicals, an area of increasing importance to Maine’s forest products industry. A major technical focus is on upgrading of biomass pyrolysis oils. Major roadblocks in thermally upgrading pyrolysis oil, a complex highly-oxygenated liquid, include improving the heating value through catalytic oxygen removal, identifying favorable reaction pathways, and developing production methods for optimum upgrading. Oxygen removal is accomplished by reacting the pyrolysis oil with hydrogen over an appropriate catalytic metal/support combination. This process is often referred to as hydrodeoxygenation. Pyrolysis oils are being characterized, and catalysts are being developed to improve the chemical compositions of the biomass pyrolysis products.

 

This research will enable wood product industries to diversify their products to include biomass derived fuels and chemicals by helping to (1) understand the composition and properties of woody biomass derived pyrolysis oil (2) improve the heating value of pyrolysis oil and improve properties related to transportability through catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (3) overcome economic barriers to Fischer-Tropsch Liquids (FTL) synthesis by reducing stringent current syngas cleaning requirements, and (4) improve quality of FTL.

 

Scientific and Technical Merit highlights of this program include: (1) an innovative combinatorial screening micro-array platform integrated with vibrational spectroscopies, (2) synthesis and physical characterization of novel size-selective catalyst/supports using engineered mesoporous (1-10 nm diameter pores) materials, (3) advances in fundamental knowledge of novel support/multi-metal catalyst systems tailored for pyrolysis oil upgrading, (4) rapid ink-jet synthesis techniques for micro-support/catalyst library generation, and (5) characterization of woody biomass-derived pyrolysis oils.

 

Our multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research cluster is part of a larger Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative at the University of Maine which is addressing one of the seven key areas of Maine’s Science and Technology Action Plan. Additionally, new collaborations are being developed between The University of Maine and Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin Colleges. The project currently involves five graduate and five undergraduate students.