Aviation biokerosene from sawdust and seeds was created in Russia

Kerosene, suitable for aircraft engines, was created from sawdust and seeds in Russia, the Russian Academy of Sciences reported.

The raw materials for the production of biokerosene were pine sawdust and sunflower husks. Their choice was explained by the fact that they are not used in the food industry, wide availability in Russia and environmental efficiency.

Testing of synthetic aviation fuel took place in three stages - in the third, the resulting SAF kerosene was tested when burned in a gas turbine unit. As a result, it was found that the new synthesized biofuel meets the requirements for sustainable and stable operation of aircraft engines, meets the environmental standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and produces 10 decibels less noise. The key advantage of SAF kerosene was said to be increased engine stability - it ensures smooth transitions between engine modes.

So far, biokerosene has been proposed to be used as a reserve fuel for aircraft engines. However, according to experts, at this stage only a partial replacement of petroleum kerosene with a biocomponent (up to 30 percent) is possible to ensure that the fuel meets state standards and minimizes the cost of the final product. Today it will not be possible to completely replace traditional fuel with biokerosene due to the complex technological cycle of its synthesis, as well as the lack of ready-made solutions and production capacity. There is also an option to develop a new engine for a new fuel, but this will take a long time with no guarantee of success.

The creation was developed by employees of the Institute of Thermophysics named after S.S. Kutateladze, Tomsk Polytechnic University, South Russian State Polytechnic University named after M.I. Platov and the Institute of Petrochemistry and Catalysis of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.