not soluble in water/stable in storage plant sugar bio-fuel replacement for ethanol

[papau]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070621/ts_afp/energyenvironment;_ylt=AhqN0bdig8CoHQttul.SNxAPLBIF

Fructose biofuel spells sweeter news for shift out of oil

Wed Jun 20, 2:18 PM ET

PARIS (AFP) - Chemists in the United States say they have broken new ground in biofuels, transforming plant sugar into a liquid fuel that packs 40-percent more energy than ethanol and appears to have fewer of its drawbacks.

Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is currently the only car fuel made in large quantities from biomass, under fast-expanding initiatives to wean industrialised economies from dirty, costly oil.

Biomass sources such as corn, sugarcane and other plants are rich in potential energy, in the form of large chains of carbohydrates.<snip>

Biofuel engineers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison believe they have found the answer in a process that results in 2,5-demethylfuran, or DMF, which volume for volume delivers 40 percent more energy than ethanol.<snip>

More research is needed before the technology can be commercialised, according to lead researcher James Dumesic, a professor of chemical and biological engineering, who has previously won plaudits for work on HMF.

"There are some challenges that we need to address, but this work shows that we can produce a liquid transportation fuel from biomass that has energy density comparable to petrol," he says.<snip>

[AlecBGreen]

1. cool!

whats the catch?

[poopfuel]

2. DMF very toxic n/t

[papau]

3. add sodium hydride & get "fire" at 26 degrees- makes it a power plant fuel only

Reaction with sodium hydride in DMF as a solvent are somewhat hazardous; exothermic decomposition has been reported at temperatures as low as 26 °C. On a laboratory scale any thermal runaway is (usually) quickly noticed and brought under control with an ice bath and this remains a popular combination of reagents. On a pilot plant scale, on the other hand, several accidents have been reported.

Toxicity

DMF has been linked to cancer in humans, and it is thought to cause birth defects. In some sectors of industry women are banned from working with DMF. For many reactions, it can be replaced with dimethyl sulfoxide. Most manufacturers of DMF list it as a health hazard in their MSDS since DMF is not readily disposed of by the body. According to IARC, DMF may be a possible carcinogen, although EPA does not consider it a cancer risk.

[ejbrush]

4. And this is worse than gasoline how?

To the best of my recollection, gasoline is pretty nasty stuff and harmful to childeren and other living things. Cancer, neurological damage, etc. Vapors are pretty easily ignited, too.

[papau]

5. birth defects is the additional worry n/t

n/t