Thermochemical ethanol via indirect gasification and mixed alcohol synthesis of lignocellulosic biomass

This work addresses a policy initiative by the Federal Administration to apply United States Department of Energy (DOE) research to broadening the country’s domestic production of economic, flexible, and secure sources of energy fuels. President Bush stated in his 2006 State of the Union Address: “America is addicted to oil.” To reduce the Nation’s future demand for oil, the President has proposed the Advanced Energy Initiative which outlines significant new investments and policies to change the way we fuel our vehicles and change the way we power our homes and businesses. The specific goal for biomass in the Advanced Energy Initiative is to foster the breakthrough technologies needed to make cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive with corn-based ethanol by 2012.