The Production of Liquid Fuel by Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass

Abstract

The NREL Fast Ablative Pyrolysis Technology was employed to generate oils from various biomass feedstocks. The oil yield from wood (64 percent) was higher than from herbaceous species (51 percent). Biomass oils have potential to be used as fuel though their properties are different from those of petroleum derived oils. They are multicomponent mixtures containing various groups of organic compounds such as sugars, aldehydes, acids, and phenolics. The density of the oils is about 1.2 g/ml and the pH is in the range 2.5–3.7. The viscosity of 20–80 cP (at 45°C) corresponds to that of No. 6 fuel oil. The high heating value for the biomass oils is in the range of 22.5–24.4 MJ/kg on a water-free basis. Considering the highest oil yields, it corresponds to approximately 65 percent of the wood heating value transferred to the oil.