With a patent pending technique, lignin and diesel fuel can be well mixed to form a stable liquid state. Such fuel is tested to run diesel engines successfully.

It is well known that biomass is a renewable resource that offers a far greater array of possibilities for reducing dependence on fossil fuels, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting sustainable economic development. However, much of the search for renewable transportation fuels are directed to liquid transportation fuels. Hence, the effort of the whole renewable energy communities is directed to convert the biomass into liquid sate, mainly ethanol from grains, sugar cane or from lignocellulosics, and biodiesel from oil plants. In this traditional way of use of biomass, lignin is a poisoning ingredient and should be removed as much as possible, among the biomass major ingredients of cellulous, hemicellulos and lignin.

The fact that lignin is of a highest energy density ( ~35-40kJ/cm3) among all the biomass ingredients, and is in comparison with fossil fuels ( ~37kJ/cm3) . Thus the use of lignin as a transportation fuel is fairly attractive as long as we can convert it into liquid-like state. With a patent-pending technique I have managed to form a lignin/diesel or lignin/gasoline blended fuel. Diesel engine tests had shown that it works stably up to 15%(v/v) of lignin in diesel. Water pumping tests by using the diesel engine has proven that lignin had substituted the diesel to provide equivalent power.

In view that much of resources from many nations are now putting on the development of ethanol and biodiesel, and if lignin can be used directly as a partial substitute for transportation fuels, the current resources put to ethanol and biodiesel would be a great waste to the whole world. Thus I feel I am obliged to let you know this progress.

Sincerely yours,


Caidong Qin (D.Phil.)
Director
LuAn Boshi Renewable Energy Co. Ltd.
Address: LuAn, Anhui, China 237192