Barrier Area 1: Catalyst and catalytic process Research Activities comprehension Lack of understanding of how catalysts Evaluate deoxygenation/decarboxylation catalyst interact with the oxygen containing interactions with multiple oxygenated species in functional groups in the bio-oil or liquid order to develop catalyst active sites flexible to matrix together with how the entities the broad classes of species present in bio-oil within bio-oil vapor and liquids react vapors (determine the benefits of intermolecularly. catalysts). Incomplete understanding of how to tune Develop effective catalysts that combine; high the optimal catalytic upgrading conditions activity, optimal residence time, attrition for the molecular components of different resistance, and reactivation/regeneration. bio-oils derived from different liquefaction Conduct parametric testing to evaluate catalyst processes and feedstocks in order to performance using real feedstocks in order to be efficiently generate an optimal fuel representative for large-scale process design. blendstock. Develop an understanding of thermal and Current biomass/bio-oil catalysts have a catalytic deactivation mechanisms with the short lifespan and are prone to identification of key reactants. Ultimately deactivation. Catalyst selectivity, ability to facilitating the development of robust catalysts regenerate, and stability are problematic. and accelerated aging protocols. Lack of understanding of between species in the vapor stream and on the surface of catalysts for formation of bio-oil, and the relative ratios of components (acyclic molecules versus cyclic and aromatic molecules), and side products (char and volatile organics). Barrier Area 2: Hydroprocessing of Bio-Oils and Research Activities Hydrogen Considerations Process sustainability and economics are Evaluate biomass-specific heat and mass transfer strongly influenced by the amount of correlations for reactor systems. hydrogen and flexibility of distribution that Evaluate carbon and hydrogen atom efficiency of is needed to simultaneously achieve high processes. carbon yields, and lower GHG emissions. Develop an understanding of thermal and catalytic deactivation mechanisms with the identification of key reactants. Ultimately facilitating the development of robust catalysts and accelerated aging protocols. Evaluate use of H2, H2-donor molecules, and other reductants for in-situ bio-oil reduction, these technologies need to be identified, understood for optimal efficiency, and tested. Evaluate innovative processes for oxygen removal mechanisms, including robust catalytic and
Barrier Area 1: Catalyst and catalytic process comprehension Research Activities Lack of understanding of how catalysts interact with the oxygen containing functional groups in the bio-oil or liquid matrix together with how the entities within bio-oil vapor and liquids react intermolecularly. Incomplete understanding of how to tune the optimal catalytic upgrading conditions for the molecular components of different bio-oils derived from different liquefaction processes and feedstocks in order to efficiently generate an optimal fuel blendstock. Current biomass/bio-oil catalysts have a short lifespan and are prone to deactivation. Catalyst selectivity, ability to regenerate, and stability are problematic. Lack of understanding of between species in the vapor stream and on the surface of catalysts for formation of bio-oil, and the relative ratios of components (acyclic molecules versus cyclic and aromatic molecules), and side products (char and volatile organics). Evaluate deoxygenation/decarboxylation catalyst interactions with multiple oxygenated species in order to develop catalyst active sites flexible to the broad classes of species present in bio-oil vapors (determine the benefits of catalysts). Develop effective catalysts that combine; high activity, optimal residence time, attrition resistance, and reactivation/regeneration. Conduct parametric testing to evaluate catalyst performance using real feedstocks in order to be representative for large-scale process design. Develop an understanding of thermal and catalytic deactivation mechanisms with the identification of key reactants. Ultimately facilitating the development of robust catalysts and accelerated aging protocols. Barrier Area 2: Hydroprocessing of Bio-Oils and Hydrogen Considerations Research Activities Process sustainability and economics are strongly influenced by the amount of hydrogen and flexibility of distribution that is needed to simultaneously achieve high carbon yields, and lower GHG emissions. Evaluate biomass-specific heat and mass transfer correlations for reactor systems. Evaluate carbon and hydrogen atom efficiency of processes. Develop an understanding of thermal and catalytic deactivation mechanisms with the identification of key reactants. Ultimately facilitating the development of robust catalysts and accelerated aging protocols. Evaluate use of H2, H2-donor molecules, and other reductants for in-situ bio-oil reduction, these technologies need to be identified, understood for optimal efficiency, and tested. Evaluate innovative processes for oxygen removal mechanisms, including robust catalytic and
CTAB%20ROADMAP_PreRFI_Final.docx