Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Chemistry

Date of Award

5-2024

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Dane W. Scott

Committee Members

Marina V. Roginskaya, Gregory Bishop

Abstract

Increasing global energy demand and environmental concerns have fueled the exploration of sustainable and efficient methods for renewable fuel production. The conversion of cellulosic waste to hydrocarbon fuels using hydrogenated metal oxides presents a novel and eco-friendly approach to sustainably address energy demand. In this study, hydrogenated metal oxides were used as catalysts in a relatively low-temperature and atmospheric-pressure environment to facilitate the conversion of cellulosic waste into hydrocarbon fuels. Hydrogenated metal oxides have been introduced as potential hydrogen transfer catalysts. The expected result is the selective conversion of cellulose to hexane at relatively low temperatures, which significantly reduces energy consumption compared to traditional high temperature conversion techniques. The use of XPell R resulted in 2,000 ppm hexane in dodecane. Although the use of hydrogenated metal oxides for cellulosic waste conversion is promising, ongoing research and optimization efforts are crucial to enhance the catalyst efficiency and increase the yield.

Document Type

Thesis - embargo

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

Available for download on Sunday, June 15, 2025

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