Enerkem Inc. says it has produced a high-performance biofuel that could improve the octane rating of fuels sold on the market and reduce their carbon footprint.

The biofuel has a Research Octane Number (RON) of up to 112. The Montreal-based company says this is 20 points higher than the average octane rating found in regular motor gasoline.

By using bio-dimethyl ether (Bio-DME), a product derived from biomethanol, combined with a DME-to-high-octane-gasoline catalyst developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Enerkem-NREL team demonstrated at pilot scale the production of an alternative fuel rich in paraffins.

"It's a major breakthrough that could enable the development of a new non-oxygenated biofuel made from waste on a commercial scale," says Stéphane Marie-Rose, Director of Enerkem's Innovation Centre. "Through the very selective catalytic reaction achieved using our waste-to-biofuels process, we have formed paraffinic molecules, such as triptane, whose properties already contain a high-octane rating, thereby increasing the volume of paraffins when used as an additive in a conventional fuel."

The non-oxygenated additive could serve the specialized fuels market, such as the aviation fuel and professional auto racing sectors.

Enerkem produces biofuels and renewable chemicals from waste. Its technology converts non-recyclable, non-compostable municipal solid waste into methanol, ethanol and other chemicals.