Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Accelerate SAF innovation with high-throughput catalyst testing
Explore where catalyst testing accelerates SAF development
Learn how the catalytic step contributes to SAF production, where Avantium R&D Solutions has relevant experience, and which Flowrence® system or testing capability can support development.
Hydrogenation / Deoxygenation
HEFA-SPK converts renewable oils, fats and lipid-based feedstocks into paraffinic hydrocarbons suitable for SAF blending. The key catalytic challenge is removing oxygen while controlling cracking, hydrogen consumption, product yield and carbon-number distribution.
Hydrocracking / Co-processing
Hydrocracking and co-processing steps help convert renewable intermediates, FT waxes or lipid-derived streams into the required jet-range molecules. These steps influence yield structure, boiling range, cold-flow properties and final fuel quality.
Testing Vegetable Oil hydrotreating catalysts in high-throughput micro-pilot plants
Data quality obtained in refinery catalyst testing
Predicting hydrotreater performance while co-processing vegetable oil
Alcohol-to-Jet
Alcohol-to-Jet converts renewable alcohols such as ethanol into jet-range hydrocarbons through catalytic dehydration, oligomerization and hydrotreatment/upgrading. This route is especially relevant where bioethanol capacity, biomass-derived alcohols or circular carbon alcohols are available.
Avantium R&D Solutions has developed testing protocols for ethanol-to-jet catalyst testing, including ethanol conversion, ethanol/water feed distribution, and detailed product distribution analysis.
Carbon Capture
Carbon capture supplies the CO₂ feedstock needed for synthetic SAF pathways. Captured CO₂ can be combined with renewable hydrogen and converted into syngas, methanol, light olefins or hydrocarbons before final upgrading to SAF-range molecules.
Rapid Temperature Cycling for Direct Air Capture R&D
High-throughput breakthrough analysis for direct air capture materials
Optimizing carbon removal through advanced materials screening
Steam Reforming
Steam reforming converts methane, biogenic methane, glycerol or other reformable feedstocks into hydrogen-rich syngas. In SAF pathways, this step can support renewable hydrogen generation, syngas balancing, and integration with downstream methanol, FT or other synthetic fuel routes.
Methane to Syngas Light Olefins Conversion Process – Avantium RDS
CO₂ conversion / CO₂-to-fuels
CO₂-derived SAF routes combine captured CO₂ with renewable hydrogen. Depending on the route, CO₂ can be converted to syngas, methanol, light olefins or hydrocarbons before final upgrading.
Flowrence for CO₂ conversion, methanol and ammonia was installed at Kiel University
TAKE-OFF consortium explored SAF production from direct air capture or flue-gas CO₂ and green hydrogen, converting carbon to light olefins directly or indirectly via methanol and DME, followed by oligomerization, isomerization and aromatization using a Flowrence® 16-reactor system by Avantium. Read here
CO2-to-methanol https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NR02612K
CO2-to-Olefin and methanol https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.2c05580
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2023.119100
CO2-to-Hydrocarbons https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26090-5
CO₂ conversion / CO₂-to-fuels
CO₂-derived SAF routes combine captured CO₂ with renewable hydrogen. Depending on the route, CO₂ can be converted to syngas, methanol, light olefins or hydrocarbons before final upgrading.
Flowrence for CO₂ conversion, methanol and ammonia was installed at Kiel University
TAKE-OFF consortium explored SAF production from direct air capture or flue-gas CO₂ and green hydrogen, converting carbon to light olefins directly or indirectly via methanol and DME, followed by oligomerization, isomerization and aromatization using a Flowrence® 16-reactor system by Avantium. Read here
CO2-to-methanol https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NR02612K
CO2-to-Olefin and methanol https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.2c05580
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcata.2023.119100
CO2-to-Hydrocarbons https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26090-5
Methanol Synthesis
Methanol can be produced from syngas or from CO₂ and hydrogen. It can then serve as an intermediate for methanol-to-jet and other synthetic fuel pathways.
Avantium delivers Flowrence® XD System to Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Germany
CO2-to-methanol https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NR02612K
CO2-to-Olefin and methanol https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.2c05580
Methanol-to-X / Methanol-to-Jet
Methanol-to-X routes convert methanol into hydrocarbons through intermediates such as olefins, followed by oligomerization and upgrading to produce jet-range molecules. For SAF, the route can connect biogenic methanol or CO₂-derived e-methanol to jet-fuel components.
TAKE-OFF consortium explored SAF production from direct air capture or flue-gas CO₂ and green hydrogen, converting carbon to light olefins directly or indirectly via methanol and DME, followed by oligomerization, isomerization and aromatization using a Flowrence® 16-reactor system by Avantium. Read here
LinkedIn announcement. Click here
Fischer–Tropsch (FT)
Fischer–Tropsch synthesis converts syngas into synthetic hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons can be further hydrocracked and isomerized to produce jet-range SAF molecules.
Promoted cobalt metal catalysts suitable for theproduction of lower olefins from natural gas
Fischer–Tropsch (FT)
Fischer–Tropsch synthesis converts syngas into synthetic hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons can be further hydrocracked and isomerized to produce jet-range SAF molecules.
Promoted cobalt metal catalysts suitable for theproduction of lower olefins from natural gas
Oligomerization (ATJ)
Oligomerization converts light olefins into heavier hydrocarbons in the jet-fuel carbon range. Selectivity to C8–C16 molecules, control of light ends and catalyst stability are central to making the route technically and economically attractive.
Avantium R&D Solutions can support oligomerization catalyst screening by comparing catalyst formulations, feed composition, temperature, pressure and space velocity in parallel, enabling faster identification of promising jet-range selectivity windows.
Effects of transport limitations on rates of acid-catalyzed alkene oligomerization
Hydrocracking / Isomerization
FT and HEFA products often require hydrocracking and isomerization to reach the desired jet-fuel boiling range and cold flow properties. Catalyst selection directly affects conversion, selectivity, yield and product quality.
Avantium R&D Solutions has a strong foundation in hydrocracking and isomerization testing, supported by refinery catalyst testing protocols, data-quality criteria and high-throughput hydroprocessing experience.
Isomerization of olefins in Sustainable Aviation Fuels production
Reverse Water-Gas Shift
Reverse Water-Gas Shift converts CO₂ and hydrogen into CO-rich syngas, enabling downstream Fischer–Tropsch synthesis or other syngas-based e-fuel routes.
An efficient titanomaghemite MOF-derived catalyst for reverse water–gas shift
Product analytics
SAF catalyst testing is only as useful as the analytical data behind it. Product analysis must quantify conversion, yield structure, hydrocarbon distribution, oxygenates, water, CO/CO₂, gas make, boiling-range fractions and fuel-range products.
Avantium R&D Solutions combines high-throughput catalyst testing with online and offline analytical methods tailored to the chemistry, supporting complete product speciation and reliable mass-balance determination.
25 years of catalysis R&D experience
Avantium R&D Solutions combines long-standing catalysis expertise with contract R&D, high-throughput catalyst testing, refinery catalyst testing and Flowrence® systems. This experience helps customers translate SAF pathway challenges into practical testing programs with clear technical outputs.
High-throughput testing for faster catalyst decisions
Flowrence® systems allow multiple catalysts or process conditions to be tested in parallel. Flowrence® XR is a 16-reactor catalyst research system designed for fast catalyst screening with strong repeatability and reproducibility. A recent SAF example is the Flowrence®-powered unit delivered to Shell ETCA, which can test sixteen catalysts simultaneously for SAF research.
Industrially relevant catalyst testing
Flowrence® systems are designed with broad operating windows, support for catalyst powders and shaped materials, accurate feed distribution, reactor pressure control and integrated analytics. These features help generate reliable data on activity, selectivity, stability, product distribution and mass balance.
Flowrence®
Avantium’s most advanced proprietary high throughput technology, with up to 16-parallel reactors.
Refinery Catalyst Testing
Compare commercial catalysts side-by-side using the most advanced catalyst testing technology
Contract R&D
Developing better and more efficient catalysts with the world’s best high throughput technology.
Adsorption Testing
Revolutionary adsorbent screening services with multi-column solutions
Talk to an expert
Get in contact with our Business development team. Driven by a passion for creating a cleaner chemical sector, Avantium R&D Solutions is always open to solving any problems, no matter how big or small the ask.
+31 (0)20 5868080 or send us an email [email protected]
