The new mixed oxide catalyst can convert bio-based ethanol to isobutene, which is used in everything from plastic soda bottles to rubber tires.Washington State University (WSU) researchers have developed a catalyst that can easily convert bio-based ethanol to a widely used industrial chemical, paving the way for more environmentally friendly, bio-based plastics and products. The researchers have published a paper describing the catalyst in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and have been granted a US patent.
The chemical industry is interested in moving away from fossil fuels to bio-based products in order to reduce environmental impacts and to meet new regulations for sustainability, said Yong Wang, professor in WSU’s School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering.
Traditionally, the chemical industry has produced an industrial chemical called isobutene, used in everything from plastic soda bottles to rubber tires, by superheating crude oil. But in collaboration with the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company, Wang and his colleagues have now developed a mixed oxide catalyst made from zinc and zirconium that can convert bio-based ethanol, which is made from corn or other biomass, to isobutene in one easy production step.
The researchers examined the costs and lifetime of their catalyst to determine its practicality for the marketplace and determined that it could also be used with other bio-based feedstocks. In addition, they discovered just how their catalyst works, knowledge that could be used to design more efficient catalysts for a wide range of applications.
"This is one example that shows the benefits of closely linking the practical and fundamental aspects of research to develop scalable and commercially practical catalysts for applications of importance to industries,'' said Wang, who holds a joint appointment in the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
This story is adapted from material from Washington State University, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier. Link to original source.