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October 18, 2019, Bio-Blendstock/Fuel Production

Fully Equipped Organic Synthesis Capabilities

Capability Title Fully equipped organic synthesis capabilities
Laboratories Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)
Capability experts Joey Carlson (SNL), Lelia Cosimbescu (PNNL), Andrew Sutton (LANL)
Description
  • Fully-equipped organic synthesis laboratories capable of g to kg scale production, separations, and analysis
  • Screening capabilities: Batch and continuous reactors (20mL)
  • Rheology/viscosity evaluation of fluids with KVs between 4-150cSt at various temperatures
  • Separation techniques: atmospheric and vacuum distillation (including fractional)
  • Chemical characterization (NMR, GCMS, GC-FID, IR, LCMS, DSC, TGA, GPC) and surface charcteriza
  • Purification techniques: Kugelrohr, distillation, chromatography, filtration, recrystallization
  • Chemical production pathway identification and scale up of candidate materials
  • Continuous flow reactors capable of high pressure, high temperature
Limitations Batch reactions can scale up to 1-3L flask or 10L glass reactor. It may be more efficient to run several 1-3L scale in parallel where the process is well defined than to use 10L reactor.
Unique aspects Though not unique, the ability to go from concept to screening to validation and then moderate scale-up is unusual.
Availability At all times, with appropriate prioritization.
Citations/references

J.P. Page, J.W. Robinson, K.O. Albrecht, L. Cosimbescu. 2018. “Synthesis of a biofuel target through conventional organic chemistry.” Tetrahedron Letters 59:14 1421-1423. http:/doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.02.073.

E. Polikarpov, K. O. Albrecht, J. P. Page, D. Malhotra, P. K. Koech, L. Cosimbescu, and D. J. Gaspar. 2019. “Critical fuel property evaluation for potential gasoline and diesel biofuel blendstocks with low sample volume availability.” Fuel 238 26-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2018.09.129.