Mar
15
Helping Switchgrass Reach Its Low Cost Biofuel Potential
March 15, 2023 | Leave a Comment
Michigan State University researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and divert some of our dependence on fossil fuels. The new knowledge has been published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science. Among switchgrass’s attractive features are that it’s perennial, low maintenance and […]
Jun
10
Kobe University engineers have developed a technique to repartition carbon resources from carbohydrates to lipids in microalgae. They hope that this method can be applied to biofuel production. A cross-institutional collaboration developed the technique to repartition carbon resources from carbohydrates to lipids in microalgae. This discovery was the result of a collaboration between a research […]
Sep
30
Treating Biomass With Plasma For Biofuel
September 30, 2020 | 1 Comment
Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Plasma Science and Technology are testing plasma formation in biomass and finding a promising method for the pretreatment of biomass. Producing biogas from the bacterial breakdown of biomass presents options for a greener energy future, but the complex composition of biomass comes with challenges. Cellulose and woody lignocellulose are […]
Sep
15
Want More Biofuel? Stop The Rust
September 15, 2020 | Leave a Comment
Washington State University researchers have made a key first step in economically converting plant materials to fuels: keeping iron from rusting. The researchers have determined how to keep iron from rusting in important chemical reactions that are needed to convert plant materials to fuels, meaning that the cheap and readily available element could be used […]
Mar
21
Breakthrough Sets Algae Up For a Comeback
March 21, 2019 | Leave a Comment
A University of Utah team of chemical engineers have developed a new kind of jet mixer for creating biomass from algae that extracts the lipids from the watery plants with much less energy than the older extraction method. This key discovery now puts this form of energy closer to becoming a viable, cost-effective alternative fuel. […]