The Dow Chemical Company and the US Department of Energy have reached an agreement to jointly develop and evaluate a process that will convert biomass to ethanol and other chemical building blocks.
A mixed alcohol catalyst from Dow is seen as the key to unlocking the potential for this promising renewable energy resource.
The process will use non-food ingredients such as the leaves from a corn plant or wood wastes, and convert the bio-based material through a gasification process to synthesis gas.
Dow's technology helps convert the synthesis gas into a mixture of alcohols, including ethanol, that can be used as transportation fuels or chemical building blocks.
The joint evaluation program will focus on improving the mixed alcohol catalyst, as well as demonstrating pilot scale performance and the commercial relevance of an integrated facility.
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