RTI International has begun construction on a new 3,000-square-foot energy technology development facility on RTI&rsquo;s main campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
The facility will house a biomass pyrolysis reactor to further extend RTI&rsquo;s biofuels research efforts. Using RTI&rsquo;s technology, the goal is to produce a suitable pyrolysis oil from locally-available biomass resources, such as pine trees, that can be substituted for petroleum in existing oil refineries.
&ldquo;The new facility will allow us to take the next step along the path to commercialization of this technology,&rdquo; said Dave Dayton, biofuels director in RTI's Center for Energy Technology. &ldquo;If we&rsquo;re successful, this could be an important new industry for North Carolina. Commercialization of this technology will help the nation meet the renewable fuels standard targets and will support North Carolina&rsquo;s Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership.&rdquo;
The facility is designed to support $7.1 million of research sponsored by the U.S. DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and from the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy over the next three years.&nbsp;
RTI&rsquo;s work in the new facility will focus on developing a process for the catalytic pyrolysis of biomass, supported by lab scale testing of catalysts and the design, construction and operation of a demonstration unit that produces pyrolysis oil from biomass materials such as woods chips. Once operational, the demonstration unit will process 1 ton a day of biomass to produce up to 60 gallons of pyrolysis oil per day in the new facility.
A second, follow-on project is planned that will include integrated biofuels process development.
The first phase of facility development will include the construction of a metal building, with completion expected in December 2012. The second phase of construction will include installation of the biomass catalytic pyrolysis reactor, with completion expected in February 2013.
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Construction has begun on the new research facility on RTI Internationalâ€™s main campus. The facility is shown here in an artistâ€™s rendering. 

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RTI International has begun construction on a new 3,000-square-foot energy technology development facility on RTI's main campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C. The facility will house a biomass pyrolysis reactor. 

RTI International develops new biofuels research facility

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