Fractional Catalytic Pyrolysis of Hybrid Poplar Wood

Abstract

Fractional catalytic pyrolysis is a selective in situ conversion of biopolymers into desired products. Fractional catalytic pyrolysis was used to convert the lignin fraction of hybrid poplar wood into high yields of cresols and phenols while the carbohydrate fraction was selectively converted into gaseous products. Ground air-dried biomass was fractionally pyrolyzed at 450−500 °C in a 2-in fluidized bed reactor. The total liquid, gas, and char/coke yields were 33%, 53%, and 12.5%, respectively. The low viscosity liquid products consisted of almost pure phenolics with minor carbohydrate decomposition products. The major liquid components were phenol, cresols, methyl substituted phenols, and small fractions of indene and substituted naphthalenes. The carbon and oxygen contents and high heating value (HHV) of the oil were 71%, 21%, and 30.5 MJ/kg, respectively. About 90 wt % of the gaseous products was carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and the rest was a mixture of hydrocarbons.

A review of recent laboratory research and commercial developments in fast pyrolysis and upgrading

“…TAN number is 41 (compared to 90 for raw bio-oil). [198,199] BFB with catalyst bed Beta, Y, ZSM-5, Mordenite…”

Biomass pyrolysis for chemicals

“…It is an elegant one-step process that has been applied successfully in the conversion of a hybrid poplar wood into a bio-oil that contains high concentrations of phenolics while the carbohydrate fraction was selectively converted into gaseous products [65]. Here, specific catalysts are used to selectively convert the impurities in the lignin-rich waste stream (predominantly the residual carbohydrates) while the lignin is merely thermally cracked to phenolic substances.…”

One-pot catalytic hydrocracking of raw woody biomass into chemicals over supported carbide catalysts: simultaneous conversion of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin

“…In the limited literature for the degradation of lignin, [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Sergeev and Hartwig 26 made impressive progress on selective hydrogenolysis of lignin model compounds catalyzed by a soluble nickel carbene complex under relatively mild conditions. Kou and co-workers 27 also did nice work on hydrocraking of wood lignin over various noble-metal catalysts through a twostep hydrogenation process, they obtained about 42 wt% C 8 -C 9 alkanes and 10 wt% C 14 -C 18 alkanes from wood lignin.…”