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| Science & Technology |
| Long-abandoned bacterial fermentation process converts sugar directly to diesel |
| 2012-11-08 |
| A long-abandoned fermentation process once used to turn starch into explosives can be used to produce renewable diesel fuel to replace the fossil fuels now used in transportation, University of California, Berkeley, scientists have discovered. Campus chemists and chemical engineers teamed up to produce diesel fuel from the products of a bacterial fermentation discovered nearly 100 years ago by the first president of Israel, chemist Chaim Weizmann. The retooled process produces a mix of products that contain more energy per gallon than ethanol that is used today in transportation fuels and could be commercialized within 5-10 years. While the fuel's cost is still higher than diesel or gasoline made from fossil fuels, the scientists said the process would drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, one of the major contributors to global climate change. |
| Posted by:Au Auric |
| #9 A long-abandoned fermentation process once used to turn starch into explosives The origin of the deadly Irish Potato Bomb. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2012-11-08 16:09 |
| #8 Finally, something to do with the leftover Halloween candy...... |
| Posted by: Uncle Phester 2012-11-08 12:44 |
| #7 The wife worked for a company in South San Francisco that produced diesel and gas from E.Coli fermentation of sugars. She and 50% of her company got laid off 3 weeks ago. I say good riddance, there is no future in making automobile fuel out of food. She is currently interviewing in a much more sustainable market and I, for one, think it will be a good move for her. Cellulosic conversion will be the future of biofuels, not sugars. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2012-11-08 12:43 |
| #6 If there's no conversion costs involved, no capital costs, 100% efficiency, 1 pound of sugar into one pound of diesel... it's about 2.69 per gallon. That's with a lot of "make an ass out of u + me" assumptions. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-11-08 12:09 |
| #5 the scientists said the process would drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation Nice! Instead of oxidizing long chain hydrocarbons, a process that produces CO2, we can oxidize long chain hydrocarbons instead. Genius! |
| Posted by: SteveS 2012-11-08 12:07 |
| #4 As a general rule I disfavor putting food into my gas tank because at the end of the day eating is more important than driving. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2012-11-08 12:03 |
| #3 it will never work unless BIG OIL gets their cut |
| Posted by: 746 2012-11-08 11:47 |
| #2 Energy content vs. costs? Unintended consequences such as diversion of food to fuel? There is a twofer, you can get both fuel and cordite. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2012-11-08 08:57 |
| #1 I like it, diesel out of my beer kit! Wait... |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2012-11-08 00:28 |