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Chemists develop new process for producing cleaner, cheaper diesel fuel
Science NationDiesel -- we know it best as the fuel that does the heavy lifting. Typically, diesel fuel is made from crude oil, but scientists can make high-grade diesel from coal, natural gas, plants or even agricultural waste, using a process called Fischer--Tropsch, or "FT." Just about any carbon source is an option. FT Diesel is the ideal liquid transportation fuel for automobiles, trucks, and jets. It's much cleaner burning than conventional diesel, and much more energy-efficient than gasoline. But, FT Diesel is expensive to make and generates lots of waste. With support from the National Science Foundation and its Center for Enabling New Technologies through Catalysis (CENTC), chemists around the United States are working together to improve the cost and energy efficiency of alternative fuels. CENTC scientists have invented and patented, and are bringing toward commercialization, catalysts that will convert light hydrocarbons into FT Diesel, improving the process, whether it's diesel made from traditional sources, such as oil, or alternative sources, such as biomass.
Credit: National Science Foundation
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