A novel chemical process developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison converts cellulose from agricultural waste into gasoline and jet fuel. It produces fuel by modifying what until now had been considered unwanted by-products (levulinic acid and formic acid) of breaking cellulose down into sugar. The work was described in this week's issue of the journal Science.
The process is one of a number of new technologies that make conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel from biomass rather than petroleum. Unlike ethanol--today's most common type of biofuel--these new fuels can easily be used in conventional automobiles and transported with existing infrastructure. What's more, the jet fuel it produces stores enough energy to power commercial or military airplanes.
