University members took part in the "Science" TV program

Gubkin University postgraduate student Ulyana Makhova took part in the TV program "Science". On air, she spoke about the importance of decarbonization of the aviation industry and the development of sustainable jet fuel (SAF), which is considered a promising solution for environmentally friendly air travel.

Sustainable aviation fuel is fuel produced from various types of waste, such as used oils from restaurants, industrial fats or wood processing waste. Unlike traditional fuel, SAF significantly reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of aviation.

During the program, Ulyana Makhova described in detail the technology developed by university staff, which allows processing fatty waste into a high-quality component of jet fuel. This technology includes several stages.

First, the oil is cleaned and filtered to remove mechanical impurities. Then the feedstock, which may contain fatty acids and triglycerides, is converted into a standardized type of esters using chemical reactions. This approach allows processing feedstocks with different compositions, be it only triglycerides or only acids.

Since the petroleum hydrocarbons in jet fuel do not contain oxygen in their molecules, but the esters do, the next step is hydrodeoxygenation - the removal of oxygen using hydrotreating. At the same time, it is necessary to reduce the length of the hydrocarbon chain in order to convert the product from a diesel fraction to a kerosene fraction. The final step is the isomerization process of molecules: linear alkanes are converted into branched iso-alkanes, which prevents the formation of paraffin crystals at low temperatures and ensures the stability of the fuel in cold conditions.

This technology opens up opportunities for the creation of environmentally friendly aviation fuel that can replace traditional hydrocarbon analogues and help reduce the harmful impact of aviation on the environment.