Efficient methods could bail out biofuels: study - Reuters

[Eugene]

Efficient methods could bail out biofuels: study

By Julie Steenhuysen

Mon Mar 12, 6:44 PM ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new, more efficient method for manufacturing biofuels
could generate enough fuel to supply the entire U.S. transportation sector
while sharply reducing the amount of raw material required to make it,
researchers said on Monday.

By recycling the carbon dioxide wasted in current manufacturing methods,
scientists at Purdue University in Indiana believe they could reduce the
amount of plant and plant-derived material required to make biofuels.

Such a method is still theoretical but once developed it could help address
some of the recent backlash against grain-derived biofuels, which are
blamed for raising the wholesale price of corn and ultimately boosting the
cost of food.

-snip-

In conventional methods of converting biomass to fuel, about two-thirds
of the material is lost as carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

Agrawal and colleagues propose a system that would recycle that lost
carbon dioxide into usable fuel by forcing it to react with hydrogen,
which suppresses the formation of carbon dioxide.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070312/sc_nm/biofuels_dc

[luckyleftyme2]

1. we need some alternative

we need an alternative form of energy to heat our homes,businesses and schools.
we are behind in this field.