THERE IS A NEED TO DEVELOP A PROCESS WHEREBY ORGANIC OCTANE ENHANCERS, CURRENTLY SYNTHESIZED FROM IMPORTED PETROCHEMICALS, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM A DOMESTIC RENEWABLE RESOURCE SUCH AS WOODY BIOMASS.

THERE IS A NEED TO DEVELOP A PROCESS WHEREBY ORGANIC OCTANE ENHANCERS, CURRENTLY SYNTHESIZED FROM IMPORTED PETROCHEMICALS, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM A DOMESTIC RENEWABLE RESOURCE SUCH AS WOODY BIOMASS. PYROLYSIS OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC MATERIALS AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE 300 DEGREE CINVARIABLY LEADS TO LEVOGLUCOSAN AND A BEWILDERING VARIETY OF ALCOHOLS, KETONES, ACIDS, AND ALDEHYDES. WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT LIGNOCELLULOSIC MATERIALS MAY BE SELECTIVELY PYROLYZED AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 250 DEGREE C TO SIMPLE ALIPHATIC KETONES AND PYRONES THROUGH THE AGENCY OF AN INORGANIC ADDITIVE. THESE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS HAVE RESEARCH OCTANE NUMBERS IN EXCESS OF 100, WHICH MAKES THEM SUITABLE FOR BOOSTING THE OCTANE NUMBER OF UNLEADED GASOLINE. WE PROPOSE TO ELABORATE UPON THESE FINDINGS BY STUDYING THE PYROLYSIS OF NON-COMMERCIAL HARDWOODS IN MOLTEN SALTS OVER THE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF 110 DEGREE TO 200 DEGREE C. WE WILL ALSO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF ELECTROCHEMICALLY ASSISTING THE PYROLYTIC DEPOLYMERIZATION OF WOODY BIOMASS ATA SUITABLE WORKING ELECTRODE. THIS IS A TOTALLY NEW CONCEPTWHICH MAY RESULT IN ENHANCED YIELDS OF SELECTED COMPOUNDS ASWELL AS GIVE US A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE OXIDATION STATES OF PYROLYTICALLY GENERATED REACTIVE INTERMEDIATES.