PNNL

Alan joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 1993. During his career at PNNL, he has been involved in a wide variety of research areas including catalytic and non-catalytic hydrothermal processing, thermochemical biomass conversion, technology development for waste treatment, domestic and international security efforts, Hanford site related research, as well as practical and platform teaching experience. Notably among them is being on the team that developed PGRS, the commercialized industrial process for producing propylene glycol from renewable resources. Over the years, he has been involved in pilot plant design, construction, commissioning, troubleshooting, and modification of fixed facility and mobile systems both on and off site. Alan is currently working in the field thermochemical conversion of biomass to fuels. His current efforts are mainly associated with biomass pyrolysis and/or catalytic upgrading of bio-oil into fungible fuel blend stocks.

• Biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals
• Pilot and demonstration plant development

• B.S., Chemical Engineering, Washington State University
• B.S., Chemistry, Washington State University

• Named a Battelle Distinguished Inventor in 2008
• R&D 100 Award, Propylene Glycol from Renewable Sources (PGRS), Research & Development Magazine, 2010
• Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer, PGRS, Federal Laboratory Consortium, 2011

• U.S. Patent No. 8,501,963, August 6, 2013, "Process for Producing Cyclic Compounds ".
• U.S. Patent No. 8,241,605, August 14, 2012, "Methods and Apparatus for Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification of Biomass".
• U.S. Patent No. 7,674,916, March 9, 2010, "Process for Producing Cyclic Compounds ".
• U.S. Patent No. 7,652,131, January 26, 2010, "Methods of Producing Compounds from Plant Material ".
• U.S. Patent No. 7,038,094, May 2, 2006, "Hydrogenolysis of 5-Carbon Sugars, Sugar Alcohols and Methods of Making Propylene Glycol".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,982,328, January 3, 2006, "Methods of Producing Compounds from Plant Material ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,841,085, January 11, 2005, "Hydrogenolysis of 6-Carbon Sugars and other Organic Compounds ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,706,893, March 16, 2004, "Methods of Making Pyrrolidones ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,677,385, January 13, 2004, "Hydrogenolysis of 5-Carbon Sugars, Sugar Alcohols, and Compositions for Reactions Involving Hydrogen ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,670,300, December 30, 2003, "Textured Catalysts, Methods of Making Textured Catalysts, and Methods of Catalyzing Reactions Conducted in Hydrothermal Conditions ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,670,483, December 30, 2003, "Methods of Making Pyrrolidones ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,632,951, October 14, 2003, "Methods of Making Pyrrolidones ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,603,021, August 5, 2003, "Methods of Making Pyrrolidones ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,479,713, November 12, 2002, "Hydrogenolysis of 5-Carbon Sugars, Sugar Alcohols, and other Methods and Compositions for Reactions Involving Hydrogen ".
• U.S. Patent No. 6,291,725, September 18, 2001, "Catalysts and Process for Hydrogenolysis of Sugar Alcohols to Polyols ".

2017

• Hubbard LR, CL Arendt, DF Dye, CK Clayton, ME Lerchen, NJ Lombardo, CA Lavender, and AH Zacher. 2017. U-10Mo Baseline Fuel Fabrication Process Description. PNNL-26880, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Li Z, JS Choi, H Wang, AW Lepore, RM Connatser, S Lewis, H Meyer, DM Santosa, and AH Zacher. 2017. "Sulfur-Tolerant Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts Enabling Low-Temperature Stabilization of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-Oil." Energy and Fuels 31(9):9585-9594.  doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b01707

2016

• Wang H, SJ Lee, MV Olarte, and AH Zacher. 2016. "Bio-oil stabilization by hydrogenation over reduced metal catalysts at low temperatures." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 4(10):5533-5545.  doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01270
• Choi JS, AH Zacher, H Wang, MV Olarte, BL Armstrong, H Meyer, II Soykal, and V Schwartz. 2016. "Molybdenum carbides, active and in situ regenerable catalysts in hydroprocessing of fast pyrolysis bio-oil." Green Chemistry 30(6):5016-5026. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00937
• Jones SB, LJ Snowden-Swan, PA Meyer, AH Zacher, MV Olarte, H Wang, and C Drennan. 2016. Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating: 2015 State of Technology R&D and Projections to 2017 . PNNL-25312, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Olarte MV, AH Zacher, AB Padmaperuma, SD Burton, HM Job, TL Lemmon, MS Swita, LJ Rotness, Jr, GG Neuenschwander, JG Frye, and DC Elliott. 2016. "Stabilization of Softwood-Derived Pyrolysis Oils for Continuous Bio-oil Hydroprocessing." Topics in Catalysis 59(1):55-64.  doi:10.1007/s11244-015-0505-7

2015

• Jones SB, LJ Snowden-Swan, PA Meyer, AH Zacher, MV Olarte, and C Drennan. 2015. Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating: 2014 State of Technology R&D and Projections to 2017. PNNL-24176, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 

2014

• White JF, JE Holladay, AH Zacher, JG Frye, and TA Werpy. 2014. "Challenges in Catalytic Manufacture of Renewable Pyrrolidinones from Fermentation Derived Succinate." Topics in Catalysis 57(17):1325-1334.  doi:10.1007/s11244-014-0299-z
• Elliott DC, TR Hart, GG Neuenschwander, LJ Rotness, Jr, G Roesijadi, AH Zacher, and JK Magnuson. 2014. "Hydrothermal Processing of Macroalgal Feedstocks in Continuous-Flow Reactors ." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2(2):207-215.  doi:10.1021/sc400251p
• Jones SB, LJ Snowden-Swan, PA Meyer, AH Zacher, MV Olarte, and C Drennan. 2014. Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating 2013 State of Technology R&D and Projections to 2017. PNNL-23294, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Zacher AH, MV Olarte, DM Santosa, DC Elliott, and SB Jones. 2014. "A Review and Perspective of Recent Bio-Oil Hydrotreating Research ." Green Chemistry 16(2):885-896.  doi:10.1039/c3gc41782d
• Zacher AH, DC Elliott, MV Olarte, DM Santosa, F Preto, and K Iisa. 2014. "Pyrolysis of Woody Residue Feedstocks: Upgrading of Bio-Oils from Mountain-Pine-Beetle-Killed Trees and Hog Fuel." Energy and Fuels 28(12):7510-7516. doi:10.1021/ef5017945

2013

• Elliott DC, TR Hart, AJ Schmidt, GG Neuenschwander, LJ Rotness, Jr, MV Olarte, AH Zacher, KO Albrecht, RT Hallen, and JE Holladay. 2013. "Process Development for Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algae Feedstocks in a Continuous-Flow Reactor ." Algal Research 2(4):445-454. 

2012

• Santosa DM, AH Zacher, and DE Eakin. 2012. Fast Pyrolysis Conversion Tests of Forest Concepts' Crumbles. PNNL-21256, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Elliott DC, TR Hart, GG Neuenschwander, LJ Rotness, Jr, MV Olarte, AH Zacher, and Y Solantausta. 2012. "Catalytic Hydroprocessing of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil from Pine Sawdust." Energy and Fuels 26(6):3891-3896.  doi:10.1021/ef3004587
• Elliott DC, TR Hart, GG Neuenschwander, LJ Rotness, Jr, MV Olarte, and AH Zacher. 2012. "Chemical Processing in High-Pressure Aqueous Environments. 9. Process Development for Catalytic Gasification of Algae Feedstocks." Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 51(33):10768-10777.  doi:10.1021/ie300933w

2010

• Elliott DC, GG Neuenschwander, TR Hart, LJ Rotness, Jr, AH Zacher, KA Fjare, BC Dunn, SL McDonald, and G Dassor. 2010. Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Agricultural and Biorefinery Residues Final Report - CRADA #PNNL/277. PNNL-19453, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 

2009

• Elliott DC, GG Neuenschwander, TR Hart, LJ Rotness, Jr, AH Zacher, DM Santosa, C Valkenburt, SB Jones, and SA Tjokro Rahardjo. 2009. Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification of Lignin-Rich Biorefinery Residues and Algae Final Report . PNNL-18944, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 
• Elliott DC, TR Hart, GG Neuenschwander, LJ Rotness, Jr, and AH Zacher. 2009. "Catalytic Hydroprocessing of Biomass Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil to Produce Hydrocarbon Products." Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy 28(3):441-449. 
• Zacher AH, JE Holladay, JG Frye, HM Brown, DM Santosa, and AA Oberg. 2009. Final Project Report Project 10749-4.2.2.1 2007-2009. PNNL-18407, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 

2007

• Schmidt AJ, and AH Zacher. 2007. Composition and Technical Basis for K Basin Settler Sludge Simulant for Inspection, Retrieval, and Pump Testing. PNNL-16619 Rev. 1, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA. 

2005

• Frye JG, AH Zacher, TA Werpy, and Y Wang. 2005. "Catalytic Preparation of Pyrrolidones from Renewable Resources." Chapter 17 in Catalysis of Organic Reactions, ed. John R. Sowa, Jr., pp. 145-154.  Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, FL. 
• Frye JG, AH Zacher, TA Werpy, and Y Wang. 2005. "Catalytic Preparation of Pyrrolidones from Renewable Resources." In Twentieth Conference on the Catalysis of Organic Reactions 2004 : Hilton Head Island, S.C. Chemical industries, vol. 104, ed. John R. Sowa, Jr., pp. 145-154.  CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 
• Zacher AH, JG Frye, TA Werpy, and DJ Miller. 2005. "Catalytic Hydrogenolysis of 5-Carbon Sugar Alcohols." Chapter 19 in Catalysis of Organic Reactions; 20th Conference on Catalysis of Organic Reactions 2004 : Hilton Head Island, S.C. Chemical industries, ed. JR Sowa, Jr., pp. 165-173.  CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 

2004

• Elliott DC, GG Neuenschwander, TR Hart, RS Butner, AH Zacher, MH Engelhard, JS Young, and DE McCready. 2004. "Chemical Processing in High-Pressure Aqueous Environments. 7. Process Development for Catalytic Gasification of Wet Biomass Feedstocks." Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 43(9):1999-2004. 

2003

• Elliott DC, GG Neuenschwander, TR Hart, AH Zacher, and RS Butner. 2003. "Low-Temperature Catalytic Gasification of Wet Biomass." Chapter TH-Envisioning the Bioref in AIChE 2003 Annual Meeting Conference Proceedings, p. n/a.  AIChE, New York, NY. 

1999

• Elliott DC, GG Neuenschwander, MR Phelps, TR Hart, AH Zacher, and LJ Silva. 1999. "Chemical Processing in High-Pressure Aqueous Environments. 6. Demonstration of Catalytic Gasification for Chemical Manufacturing Wastewater Cleanup in Industrial Plants." Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 38(3):879-883.