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Major biofuel producers are investigating research that recently came out of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The details are still confidential, but chemical engineer Yong Wang said a large company is looking into licensing and commercializing a new catalyst material that could replace the petroleum-derived chemicals currently being used in biofuel production.

In one step, the catalyst converts ethanol into a chemical called isobutene, which can be converted into fuel components, including jet fuel. Currently, isobutene is only produced from fossil fuels, which makes this discovery particularly significant.

Wang, who leads the research at PNNL in Richland, Wash., and at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., said the catalyst also has the potential to be used as a renewable alternative in making rubber tires and industrial solvents.

鈥淭he most important aspect is that ethanol is going to become cheaper and cheaper, while the availability will continue to increase,鈥� Wang said. 鈥淭his discovery opens a different path for molecules which can be produced from ethanol, which will further diversify ethanol’s applications and increase the value of the products.鈥�