A Korean research team has developed a technology that can be used to mass-produce aviation-grade fuels from wood wastes. The ability to produce aviation-grade fuel from oil derived from wood waste—which up until now has been difficult due to the high viscosity of the oil—could help international aviation companies comply with new emissions regulations scheduled to go into effect in 2027. Lignin constitutes 20 to 40 percent of lignocellulose. Large volumes of lignin are generated as waste in the pulping processes that are used to produce paper. The pyrolysis of lignin produces an oil which has little industrial utility due to its high viscosity. For this reason, lignin waste is typically used by paper mills as a low-grade boiler fuel, rather than as a high-grade fuel or as a raw material for chemical products. The research team, led by Dr. Jeong-Myeong Ha of the KIST, used hydrocracking to prepare […]