Manure-derived synthetic crude oil is a synthetic
bio-oil
Pyrolysis oil, sometimes also known as bio-crude or bio-oil, is a synthetic fuel under investigation as substitute for petroleum. It is obtained by heating dried biomass without oxygen in a reactor at a temperature of about with subsequent co ...
chemically engineered (converted) from animal or human
manure
Manure is organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists of animal feces; other sources include compost and green manure. Manures contribute to the Soil fertility, fertility of soil by adding organic ma ...
. Research into the production of manure-derived synthetic fuel began with pig manure in 1996 at the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Un ...
by the research team led by professors
Yuanhui Zhang and
Lance Schideman.
They developed a method for converting raw pig manure into bio-oil through
thermal depolymerization (thermochemical conversion). This process uses a thermochemical conversion reactor to apply heat and pressure for breaking down carbohydrate materials.
As a result, bio-oil, methane and carbon dioxide are produced.
With further research, large-scale chemical processing in a refinery-style environment could help process millions of gallons of "pig biocrude" per day. However, this technology is still in its infancy and could produce only of oil per of manure.
In 2006, preparations for a construction of a pilot plant started.
It is developed by Snapshot Energy, a start-up firm.
According to the tests conducted by the
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical s ...
pig manure biocrude produced by current technology contains 15% water,
sulfur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formul ...
and char waste containing heavy metals, which should be removed to improve the quality of oil.
See also
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Alternative fuels
Alternative fuel, known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels like; ''fossil fuels'' (petroleum (oil), coal, and natural gas), as well as nuclear materi ...
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Energy and the environment
The environmental impact of the energy industry is significant, as energy and natural resource consumption are closely related. Producing, transporting, or consuming energy all have an environmental impact. Energy has been harnessed by human be ...
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Poultry litter
In agriculture, poultry litter or broiler litter is a mixture of poultry excreta, spilled feed, feathers, and material used as bedding in poultry operations. This term is also used to refer to unused bedding materials. Poultry litter is used in ...
References
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Feces
Sustainable technologies
Biofuels
Synthetic fuels