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January 2019
Advancements in Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Give Biofuels a Boost
Researchers from NREL and two other national labs have discovered an alternative catalytic fast pyrolysis approach--using fixed-bed reactors and bifunctional catalysts--that significantly improves bio-oil yields and the overall economics of the process to turn biomass into biofuels and bioproducts.
December 2018
Bioenergy Scientists Collaborate with Industry to Convey Feedstock Value, Improve Biomass Conversion Processes
A team of NREL scientists partnered with Forest Concepts to perform detailed thermochemical conversion simulations for biomass feedstocks. The simulations relate feedstock attributes to expected product yields and necessary pyrolysis conversion process conditions.
November 2018
News Release: Algae Testbed Experiment Yields Data Useful for Future Projects
Researchers established identical raceway-style ponds in five outdoor locations to cultivate and harvest three strains of algae during the four seasons.
News Release: R&D Magazine Honors Duo of NREL Innovations
Given annually by R&D Magazine, the awards honor the 100 most innovative technologies of the past year and were chosen by an independent panel of judges.
NREL Shifts Carbon Fiber Research into Second Gear
Ongoing research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory could lead to a cleaner method of transforming acrylonitrile into carbon fiber, replacing petrochemicals with biomass as the starting point.
Molecular Scientists Unlock Sustainable Route Toward Hydrocarbons
A computational modeling team in NREL's Biosciences Center made a significant discovery regarding the key aspects of a cytochrome P450 enzyme that enable it to transform fatty acids directly to olefinic hydrocarbons, an important constituent of gasoline.
October 2018
NREL's Biomass Analysis Tools Celebrate a Decade as the Industry Standard
After nearly 10 years, the NREL-developed High Throughput Pipeline Tools have been delivering solid biomass composition analysis for researchers around the world.
September 2018
Nitrilation Process Produces Acrylonitrile, Attention, and Awards
NREL's clean, cost-competitive nitrilation process to produce a bio-based acrylonitrile is grabbing attention...and awards. This summer, alone, the process technology has been recognized with the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Mid-Continent Region Notable Technology Development Award, the CO-Labs Governor's Award, and has been named a 2018 R&D 100 Award finalist.
NREL Interns Energize the Laboratory
NREL Summer Interns unbox their potential to explore their passions in renewable energy.
July 2018
First Standard for Chemical Characterization of Bio-Oil Approved by ASTM: NREL Paves the Way Towards Commercialization
The path toward biofuel commercialization became easier with a recent NREL-developed bio-oil standard that was approved by ASTM International. The standard quantifies the total carbonyl content of complex pyrolysis bio-oils through a faster and more reliable titration method.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025