Making JP-10 Superfuel Affordable with a Lignocellulosic Platform Compound

The synthesis of renewable jet fuel from lignocellulosic platform compounds has drawn a lot of attention in recent years. So far, most work has concentrated on the production of conventional jet fuels. JP-10 is an advanced jet fuel currently obtained from fossil energy. Due to its excellent properties, JP-10 has been widely used in military aircraft. However, the high price and low availability limit its application in civil aviation. Here, we report a new strategy for the synthesis of bio-JP-10 fuel from furfuryl alcohol that is produced on an industrial scale from agricultural and forestry residues. Under the optimized conditions, bio-JP-10 fuel was produced with high overall carbon yields (approximate to 65 %). A preliminary economic analysis indicates that the price of bio-JP-10 fuel can be greatly decreased from approximate to 7091 US$/ton (by fossil route) to less than 5600 US$/ton using our new strategy. This work makes the practical application of bio-JP-10 fuel forseeable.