The Biodiesel Factor
Preceding the development of biobased PG was the broad effort in the 1990s to replace petroleum products with fuels from renewable sources, such as ethanol as a supplement for gasoline. A prime target was a biobasedreplacement for diesel fuel. Because diesel yields better mileage than comparable gasoline engines, it has long been popular for long-distance transportation — more than 90 percent of freight is shipped in diesel-powered trucks, trains and boats.
Measurable Contributions
ADM’s new Decatur facility opened in phases. The plant began production of glycerol in 2009, limited production of industrial-grade PG in 2010, continuous PG-I production in March 2011 and USP production in November 2011. The new plant has an annual production capacity of 100,000 metric tons.
“This product and process follows the principles of green chemistry,” Bloom says. “It not only reduces the demand for petroleum feedstocks, our independently reviewed Lifecycle Analysis indicates that it has a 61 percent greenhouse gas reduction compared to petroleum-based PG.” He notes that ADM propylene glycol meets American Society for Testing and Materials standards for 100 percent biobased renewable carbon content and meets the standards for the U.S.D.A. BioPreferred program.
“To our knowledge,” he says, “this is the first facility in the world manufacturing biobased propylene glycol that meets industry specifications for USP.”
In March 2012, Zacher was named PNNL’s Inventor of the Year for 2011, a recognition of his contributions, including more than 20 U.S. patents, plus another 20 overseas. All but one have been for renewable products and solvents. Zacher, Frye and Werpy have also all been named Battelle Distinguished Inventors, a recognition awarded by Battelle, the organization that manages PNNL for the Department of Energy.
“My approach is a love of problem-solving, overcoming challenges,” Zacher says. “As a scientist and engineer, I start from other people’s ideas, great ideas and figure out how to make them work.
“And,” he adds, “I’ve always wanted to be able to drive by a plant and say, ‘That’s something I’ve had a part in.’”