Process monitoring and analysis biofuel workflows Ion Chromatography • Liquid Chromatography • Gas Chromatography • Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Biofuel production the global challenge Biofuel is defined as a solid, liquid, or gas fuel derived from biological material. This broad-based class of biofuel compounds can be separated into two categories. Bioalcohol comes from crops such as corn, sugar cane, wheat, sorghum, and cellulosic plants such as corn stover, wood, and grasses. With the exception of sorghum, these crops are not naturally high in sugars. However, the grains are high in starch, and the rest of the plant is rich in cellulose and hemicellulose. Making the cellulose more accessible to hydrolysis and solubilizing hemicelluloses...

Biofuel production workflows Analysis Workflow by Application Fermentation Monitoring Quality Control Biofeedstock Characterization (algae, crops, cellulosic plants) Process Optimization and Monitoring Analysis Workflow by Product Raw Feedstock Characterization Accelerated Solvent Extraction/LC-Charged Aerosol Detection Process Monitoring LC-MS, LC-Charged Aerosol Detection FAME NIR Accelerated Solvent Extraction/HPAE-PAD FAME GC-FID NIR, LC-Charged Aerosol Detection Quality Assurance LC-RI, LC-Charged Aerosol Detection, LC-PAD Glycerols GC HPAE-PAD LC-Charged Aerosol Detection NIR Anions, Cations,...

System solutions sample prep and chromatography systems Sample Preparation Accelerated Solvent Extraction The Thermo Scientific Dionex™ ASE™ 150 or 350 Accelerated Solvent Extractor uses elevated temperatures and pressures to rapidly extract water- or oil-soluble components in cellulosic and algal biomass samples. Ion Chromatography The Thermo Scientific Dionex ICS-5000+ HPIC™ system—with the ability to operate continuously up to 5000 psi—provides fast, high-resolution IC analysis using the latest 4 μm columns. Liquid Chromatography The Thermo Scientific Dionex UltiMate™ 3000 LC systems allow...

System solutions analyzers and detectors NIR Spectroscopy No matter what the sample, the Thermo Scientific Antaris™ II FT-NIR Analyzer provides robust and reliable data collection for at-line, on-line, and in-line analysis. Analyze raw feedstock by reflection using the internal integrating sphere or liquids with the internal temperature-controlled transmission module. Perform process monitoring with fiber optic probes. IC or LC: Pulsed Amperometric Detection (PAD) Electrochemical detection provides high sensitivity detection for analytes that can be reduced or oxidized. In pulsed amperometric...

Biofeedstock characterization Accurate, precise compositional analysis of biomass is critical for understanding and assessing biomass conversion technology. Analytical methods that provide a high degree of confidence are required for accurate yield and mass balance calculations, which in turn are necessary for sound cost estimates for biofuel production. Figure 1. The partial least squares (PLS) calibration curve for measurement of xylose demonstrates the capability of NIR spectroscopy to provide rapid analysis of critical components of process feedstock in a few seconds. The primary concentration...

Bioalcohol fermentation monitoring A critical step in the development of cellulosic fuels is determining the most favorable conditions for converting complex carbohydrates into fermentable sugars with enzymatic hydrolysis. These reactions typically last up to four days or more, during which time the complex mixtures of carbohydrates, organic acids, and other fermentation inhibitors must be analyzed. Optimization of fermentation processes is critical for maximizing the yields of the final product while ensuring consistent product quality, even during scale-up of biofuel production. 1. Glucose...

Biodiesel process monitoring and optimization Efficient production of biodiesel from microalgae requires analysis of all cell products, including carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. A complete characterization of the carbohydrate breakdown products is essential for nutrient recycling to determine which sugars are best absorbed by the algae. Figure 7. This separation profile of carbohydrates in microalgae samples shows that more than a dozen peaks were observed. Because many monoand disaccharides have identical mass-to-charge ratios, IC HPAE-PAD profiles of carbohydrate standards were compared...

Biodiesel quality control A typical process for producing biodiesel is a base-catalyzed transesterificaton reaction of an oil or fat. The oil (triglyceride) is reacted with excess methanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide to yield FAMEs, commonly known as biodiesel. The ability to characterize FAME content and quantify trace contaminants in biodiesel is important for optimizing the biodiesel production process and ensuring final product quality. Figure 9. This GC chromatogram illustrates determination of FAME and linolenic acid content in a real biodiesel sample, analyzed according to EN 14103...

Biodiesel quality control Harmful impurities—such as glycerol, methanol, and alkaline earth metals—can lead to damage, clogging, corrosion, poor cold weather performance, and other problematic fuel system conditions. The determination of total glycerol in biodiesel is challenging, as these impurities are not volatile and do not possess chromophores, precluding the use of UV or HPLC fluorescence detection. Left unchecked, high glycerol content may lead to formation of deposits in injector nozzles, pistons, and valves. Residual methanol in 100% unmodified biodiesel (B100) in even small amounts...

Biodiesel quality control Figure 14. This is a chromatogram of a biodiesel sample analyzed with GC/FID according to EN 14105. The areas where glycerol, monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglycerides were detected are highlighted. Figure 15. Shown is a chromatogram of a biodiesel sample analyzed with GC/FID according to EN 14110 for the determination of methanol content, using 2-propanol as an internal standard. Figure 16. Residual methanol in biodiesel can be measured in a few seconds by NIR spectroscopy below its acceptance limit of 0.2% with an absolute error of 0.02%. 1. Sodium 2. Unknown...