Lignin-based jet fuel has more power, less pollution

In a study published in the journal Fuels, researchers analyzed an aviation fuel developed at Washington State University based on lignin, an organic polymer that makes plants tough and woody

Through a series of tests and predictions, the researchers examined fuel properties critical to jet engine operation, including seal expansion, density, efficiency and emissions

"When we tested our lignin jet fuel, we saw some interesting results," said Bin Yang, a professor in Penn State's Department of Biosystems Engineering and corresponding author of the study

"Aromatics are associated with increased soot emissions as well as aircraft wakes, which are estimated to be more harmful to carbon dioxide than carbon dioxide," said University of Dayton scientist Joshua Heyne, now co-director of the WSU-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Bioproducts Institute.

"We want to fly safely and sustainably with minimal impact on human health," added Hayne

Yang has developed a patented process that converts lignin from agricultural waste into bio-based lignin aviation fuel

The properties of the lignin-based fuels developed by WSU "provide enormous opportunities to improve fuel performance, improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and reduce costs," the authors wrote in the journal Fuels

"The lignin-based fuels we tested complement other sustainable aviation fuels by increasing the density of the blend and, most importantly, ring expansion potential," Heyne said

"This process creates a cleaner, more energy-dense fuel," Yang added

Other contributors to the study include Zhibin Yang, University of Dayton; Zhangyang Xu, Maoqi Feng, WSU; John Cotter, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; and Rafal Gieleciak, Natural Resources Canada

Yang and his team's research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency through the U.