Two Process Platforms for Bio-Synthetic Gasoline

Trace Process Left to Right

Trace Process Bottom to Top

These images come from Brian Westenhaus' posting today, which looks at the work of James Dumesic at University of Wisconsin and Randy Cortright of Virent Energy Systems.

When one looks at the two paths the similarity is quite interesting. While the process paths diverge, the basics and the chemistry look quite similar. This is good, sophisticated stuff, both at the beginning and at the process end, even though the steps between are different.

....Competition is great, but I wonder at this date if these two teams might be so close as too much intelligence is shared between them. May the cool heads rule, the money behind them get sensible and bring both to production letting the best technology win, or each finds it own best application. _NewEnergyandFuel

Apparently the two men co-founded Virents Energy Systems in 2002, but Dumesic left the company to work in his UW lab, to work on the platinum/rhenium process pictured above and discussed previously at AFE.

This simple look at two divergent approaches to the chemical creation of bio-synthetic gasoline should give the casual observor at least a glimpse into the feverish competition driving this important field.