By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Efforts to create an environmentally friendly catalyst that will lower the cost and increase the efficiency in producing bio-based jet fuels has netted Washington State University researchers a聽$500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

黑料社 Tri-Cities associate professor Hanwu Lei and his research team aim to develop the catalyst 鈥� a substance that increases the rate of chemical reactions and lowers the energy needed to perform the reaction 鈥� from forestry and agricultural waste products.

This is the second major research grant that Lei, an associate professor of biological systems engineering with the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory, has received from the USDA and National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

罢丑别听聽for $494,000 was awarded in August 2015 to develop a different type of biomass-derived catalysts. Once developed, these catalysts will be used to increase the energy output and performance of biofuels. These catalysts will produce aromatic hydrocarbons, which are high-energy organic compounds that largely are responsible for the octane number, or performance rating, of a fuel.

鈥淭o reduce energy and hydrogen demands, and improve the catalytic performance of bio-jet fuel production, we proposed a new catalyst design that we could leverage from environmentally friendly, nature-based molecules,鈥� Lei said. 鈥淭hese rod-like nanocrystals can be sourced from any agroforestry waste.鈥�

Under the new grant, Lei and his team will use enzymes to produce nanocrystalline cellulose. These 鈥榞reen catalysts鈥� will be created from wastes such as corn stover, a remnant of corn harvest, or sawdust from Douglas fir trees.聽With funding from the second grant, the new nano carbon catalyst will further convert the aromatic hydrocarbons researched with the first grant to cycloalkane naphtha, a major component in jet fuels.

Lei said their project is transformative for the biofuels industry in two ways:

• It鈥檚 a new and innovative idea that can be used to produce bio-jet fuel using less energy and hydrogen compared to current production processes
• By using cutting-edge processes, the team is applying new knowledge and approaches to solve challenges in state-of-the-art nanocrystalline cellulose extraction

鈥淭he new process provides another novel pathway for conversion of biomass into advanced biofuels and jet fuels,鈥� he said.

Contacts:

• Hanwu Lei, associate professor in the 黑料社 department of Biological Systems Engineering and Bioproducts, Science and Engineering Laboratory, 509-372-7628,聽hlei@wsu.edu
• Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities public relations specialist, 509-372-7333,聽maegan_murray@wsu.edu

PULLMAN, Wash. 鈥� Washington State University announces the launch of a collaborative program with Amazon titled Amazon Catalyst 鈥� a successful innovation grant program.

Amazon will provide up to $300,000 to 黑料社 to launch the initiative, providing funding and mentorship to support bold, globally impactful and disruptive projects proposed by members of the university community. 罢丑别听Amazon Catalyst聽program will support the expansion of the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the 黑料社 system.

Grants will be available to students, staff and faculty across all of 黑料社鈥檚 campuses, colleges, research stations and extension offices located throughout the state. The grants can be awarded in any field, including the humanities, engineering, physical and life sciences, and the arts. Grant recipients also will join the Amazon Catalyst Fellows, a collaborative community of individuals who share a passion for building solutions to solve complex problems. The grants reward creativity, scholarship, and innovation for devices, products, processes and services.

Amazon first launched Amazon Catalyst at the University of Washington in 2015. In the program鈥檚 first two years it聽funded dozens of projects, ranging from self-cleaning solar panels to eco-friendly self-driving bikes, that tackle difficult challenges.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to bring the Amazon Catalyst program to 黑料社 and to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurial spirit across the entire state of Washington,鈥� said H.B. Siegel, director of engineering at Amazon Web Services, Inc.

鈥淎s the state鈥檚 research land grant institution, with a mission of supporting and creating innovation that drives the economy of the state of Washington, we are thrilled to have the Amazon Catalyst program at 黑料社,鈥� said Chris Keane, the university鈥檚 vice president of research. 鈥淭housands of exciting ideas are generated across our campuses each year. This program will bring much-needed resources to help translate those ideas into successful endeavors.鈥�

Amazon Catalyst projects must address a key problem faced in the world today. Problems can be diverse and focus on a variety of topics from computer security to immigration to healthcare. Given the complex nature of these issues, the solutions may come from different fields and perspectives. Therefore, grants are open to all members of the university community.

The Amazon Catalyst grant application process kicks off in the fall of 2017, and grants are scheduled to be awarded in early 2018.

 

Media Contacts:

• Ann Goos, director for public affairs, 黑料社, 206-465-5136, ann.goos@wsu.edu
• Brian Kraft, 黑料社 Office of Research, 509-335-3959, bkraft@wsu.edu
• Marie Mayes, 黑料社 Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, 509-335-5628,聽mmayes@wsu.edu