In a joint research with Professor Keiichi Tomishige of the Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Showa Shell Oil Co., Ltd. announced that it has succeeded in producing hexene that can be used as a gasoline base material from biomass raw materials that do not compete with food.
Nowadays, discussions on carbon dioxide reduction as a measure against global warming are being promoted around the world to build a sustainable society, and even if biofuel burns, it does not affect the increase or decrease of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (carbon neutral). Has been attracting attention.In particular, Tohoku University and Showa Shell Sekiyu Co., Ltd. have jointly conducted research on the production of next-generation biofuels made from herbaceous and woody biomass that do not compete with food.
This time, we have developed a unique manufacturing technology to obtain hexene from biomass-derived cellulose that does not compete with food, or sorbitol obtained by saccharifying / hydrogenating them.When the amount of hexene produced that can be mixed with typical gasoline in summer and winter was investigated in light of JIS standards, it was confirmed that it could be mixed in a larger amount than bioethanol in both summer and winter. Expectations are high for the production of biogasoline.In addition, since hexene can be converted into hydrocarbons equivalent to jet fuel, it is expected to be expanded to the production of jet fuel base materials.
Currently, it is limited to laboratory-level experiments, but in the future, it aims to establish this technology by 2025 through gradual scale-up and realize a sustainable society.
Paper information:[Journal of the Japan Petroleum Institute] Manufacture of cellulose-derived olefins and applicability to gasoline
