US researchers have developed a new catalytic process to turn a common industrial chemical into an essential ingredient used in energy efficient alternative fuels. The technique could be the first to make the process economically attractive to chemical companies. Scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory claim to have developed a multi-step catalytic process that converts levulinic acid, a compound commonly used in the production of solvents and pesticides, into a fuel additive called methyltetrahydrofuran, or MTHF.