Pyrolysis of Biomass for Fuels and Chemicals

Book excerpt: Pyrolysis of Biomass for Fuels and Chemicals provides a thorough overview of thermochemical conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals via the pyrolysis platform. The book covers the principles underlying pyrolysis of biomass from the chemical engineering perspective. It discusses thermal-only pyrolysis, the traditional pyrolysis process under inert atmosphere with no catalyst, and the role of catalytic pyrolysis and tail gas reactive pyrolysis in resolving the instability issues associated with product distribution. The addresses condensed phase upgrading where the oil produced can be upgraded for stability or hydrogenated to drop-in transportation fuels, as well as feedstock selection, including opportunity fuels/feedstocks. Finally, pilot and demonstration scale projects from around the world are examined, and some immediate applications of pyrolysis oils in combustion systems are analyzed. Engineering researchers and professionals in the bioenergy, biochemical, and petrochemical fields find in this book a complete resource for understanding the relationships between possible technologies, applications, costs, and products value, as they tackle the challenges for large scale adoption of pyrolysis for the production of 2nd generation biofuels and biochemicals. PhD students in areas of energy, chemical, mechanical, and materials engineering will also benefit from fundamental and applied research in a concise format that can save them time and serve as a reference through bioenergy conversion courses.