no problem in principle. Any starch/sugar/cellulosic material can be thermally degraded to to a mixture of gases and light liquids.(often referred to as destructive distillation) Catalytic reforming should yield methanol. The only problem, an engineering feat rather than a chemical problem would be optimizing yield. On an industrial scale, you only get about a 50 % energy return going from green timber to methanol. A bacterial fermentation may also be possible to produce methanol or other alcohols from glycerol.
A Keith Addison wrote: >Hasn't anyone got an answer or some info for Greg? This is an >interesting possibility, if it is one. > >Best wishes > >Keith > > > > >>Can anyone spot flaws in my theory? >> >>Greg H. >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Greg Harbican >> To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com >> Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2004 10:14 >> Subject: [biofuel] Making Methanol from Glycerin ( was Re: >>Biodiesel Glycerin-to-Methanol Condensor plans ) >> >> >> You know, I wasn't fully awake and definitely was not tracking >>correctly when I first read the subject line, but, I think that it >>was probably a good thing. >> >> What I read was Biodiesel Glycerin-to-Methanol ( totally missed >>the condenser part ), and was thinking that here was a idea that >>allowed people to use the glycerin by-product to make methanol. >>When I read the message, I realized that I had made a mistake, but, >>thinking about that mistake, I thought that it might just be >>possible. >> >> Now I'm sure that someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but, does >>not water and glycerin mix well? >> >> Then if that is the case, the solution would be a water / hydrogen >>& carbon solution, similar to that of sugar water, which according >>to Walt Patrick mentioned can be used to produce Syn Gas, then >>converted to methanol. >> >> Please, let me know your thoughts about this possibility. >> >> Greg H. >> >> > > > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >Biofuels list archives: >http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ > >Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. >To unsubscribe, send an email to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bob Allen, Professor of Chemistry http://ozarker.org/bob Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Article 19 of The Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly,10 December 1948: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
