National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are conducting research to investigate the feasibility of producing mixed alcohols from biomass-derived synthesis gas (syngas). PNNL is tasked with obtaining commercially-available catalysts or preparing promising mixed alcohol catalysts and screening them in a laboratory-scale reactor system. Commercially-available catalysts and the most promising experimental catalysts are provided to NREL for testing using a slipstream from a pilot-scale biomass

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... ifier. After a review of the literature in 2006 and conversations at that time with companies that produce catalysts, we concluded that commercial, mixed alcohol synthesis catalysts were not available. One catalyst manufacturer did supply a modified methanol catalyst (MeOH-X) that was tested in the PNNL laboratory-scale system and then provided to NREL for further testing. PNNL also prepared and tested the behavior of 10 other catalysts that represented the distinct catalyst classes for mixed alcohol syntheses. The catalyst with the best combination of C 2 + oxygenates space time yield (STY), and selectivity was a silica-supported catalyst containing rhodium (Rh) and manganese (Mn). Based on these results, subsequent testing in 2007 and 2008 focused on the performance of the Rh-based catalyst to determine the effects of adding promoters to the Rh catalysts in addition to the Mn promoter already being used.