Mercurius
Biofuels
turning biomass into value...
REACH Technology
Mercurius Biofuels is developing a patent pending technology that is potentially ground-breaking in the search for cellulosic fuels.
Renewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation Hydrotreating (REACH) technology:1) efficiently converts biomass into biofuels and green chemicals without producing CO2 byproduct like fermentation and gasification processes.
2) uses two widely deployed and well understood industrial processing techniques; one from the pulp and paper industry and the other from petroleum refining.
3) creates an intermediate bio-crude product through the use of catalytic hydrolysis (similar to the pulp and paper industry).
4) produces diesel and jet fuel hydrocarbons through a solid-bed-catalytic process analogous to the way the petroleum industry converts crude oil into the various petroleum products on the market today.
5) does not use enzymes or microbes therefore it is not sensitive to feedstock impurities.
The company will develop and commercialize this economically superior process to turn biomass and recycle material into liquid biofuels and high value green chemicals.
Block Flow Diagram
The first step in the REACH process is to treat non-food biomass in an acid hydrolysis unit to create a mixture of non-sugar intermediates in high yields. The intermediates are then processed through a condensation unit into usable carbon chains. The final step is a hydrotreating process to deoxygenate the intermediates. The final fuel products are drop-in blend ready for use in the general liquid fuels market. High value chemicals are also produced and could be sold into higher value markets. The process is indifferent to the biomass feedstock and both cellulose and hemi-cellulose are processed at the same rate with the same cost structure. The process is significantly faster than many other biofuel production methods, has lower capital and operating expenses, and does not rely on food crops for feedstock.
Technology Advantages
Using REACH technology Mercurius Biofuels:
1) has high yields and makes high value byproducts.
2) does not use enzymes, microbes, or extreme operating conditions.
3) produces cellulosic diesel and jet fuel with superb flow properties and high cetane number.
4) uses established, reliable chemical processes.
5) accepts a wide range of feed materials, and does not require a sugar intermediate.
6) allows fuel producers and blenders to fulfill their renewable fuel obligations and improve their blending economics because of the excellent blend properties of our products.