19 DMF - A New Biofuel Candidate

Although there are very few biomass-derived fuels which are competitive to fossil fuels, the scientific research community has never ceased to search for renewable biofuel alternatives. For use in the transportation sector, a practical biofuel must: • be produced economically and efficiently; • have a relatively high energy density, in both volume and weight, in order to achieve competitive mileage; • be easy to store and distribute; • have sufficient reserves, which do not threaten ecosystems; • be sourced from a variety of bio-mass or bio-waste; • have suitable properties for use in existing power generation systems without the need for major modifications. Most potential biofuels meet the majority of these requirements. However, none satisfies them all, not even the most successful gasoline-alternative biofuel, bio-ethanol. Despite its success in the Brazilian market, bio-ethanol requires a large amount of sugar cane, which can put stress on food production and the environment. Hitherto, little has been able to compete with bio-ethanol, that is until the production techniques of 2,5-dimethylfuran, known as DMF, were significantly improved (Yuriy Roman-Leshkov 2007; Zhao H 2007). These advances have sparked interest in the research community to investigate the adaptability of this new biofuel candidate to be used in power generation systems, particularly in internal combustion engines.