[Terrapreta] range fuels

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Duane

Thanks very much for your clarifying comment.

Shortly after I posted a reply to Kelpie, someone posted the Range 
Website, where the explanation of their technology was given. Sean's 
explanation is "bang on."

Iogen is big on enzymatic hydrolysis, and they employed the steam 
explosion method to "open" the wood. See:
http://vtwood.forprod.vt.edu/discovery/pdf/Steam%20Explosion%20Pilot%20Plant%20Sheet.pdf

Best wishes,

Kevin
Duane Pendergast wrote:
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> I see the discussion on production of ethanol from cellulose, and 
> provide a link to Iogen Corporation here in Canada.
>
> http://www.iogen.ca/company/about/index.html
>
> It seems that Range Fuels uses a different process and the two 
> companies would be competitors.
>
> www.*rangefuels*.com <http://www.rangefuels.com/>
>
> Both of these companies use the “waste” organic material that terra 
> preta enthusiasts would like to see at least partially turned into 
> char as an important component of living soil. The ethanol producers 
> goal is to feed our cars and collect government subsides and not to 
> try and increase the planets productivity in the long term. Should 
> these techniques become established we can expect to see forests and 
> soils mined of even more of their carbon content. As I see it, the 
> organic material important to the char – organic material symbiosis 
> forming the basis of the terra preta postulate is simply burned by a 
> complex process returning the carbon content of the so called wastes 
> back to the atmosphere as CO2.
>
> Duane
>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org 
> [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] *On Behalf Of *Sean K. 
> Barry
> *Sent:* November 8, 2007 10:41 PM
> *To:* Kevin Chisholm; Kelpie Wilson
> *Cc:* terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Terrapreta] range fuels
>
> Hi Kelpie,
>
> I don't know what the catalyst metal alloy is for "synthesis gas" to 
> Ethanol-CH3CH2OH (EtOH). "Syngas" to Methanol-CH3OH is easier, I 
> guess. I don't know what the liquid fuel that Fischer and Tropsch 
> actually made was either? Even though Methanol is easier to make 
> (cheaper, simpler catalyst?) than Ethanol, I think Ethanol was chosen 
> over Methanol, however, because EtOH combines with gasoline, it runs 
> in existing internal combustion engines, it is already in the 
> refueling infrastructure, it is the preferred octane booster in 
> gasoline, it won't make you go blind by breathing it or touching it, 
> and it has a higher BTU content than Methanol.
>