The flash pyrolysis and methanolysis of biomass (wood) for production of ethylene, benzene and methanol
The process chemistry of the flash pyrolysis of biomass (wood) with the reactive gases, H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} and with the non-reactive gases He and N{sub 2} is being determined in a 1 in. downflow tubular reactor at pressures from 20 to 1000 psi and temperatures from 600 to 1000{degrees}C. With hydrogen, flash hydropyrolysis leads to high yields of methane and CO which can be used for SNG and methanol fuel production. With methane, flash methanolysis leads to high yields of ethylene, benzene and CO which can be used for the production of valuable chemical feedstocks and methanol transportation fuel. At reactor conditions of 50 psi and 1000{degrees}C and approximately 1 sec residence time, the yields based on pine wood carbon conversion are up to 25% for ethylene, 25% for benzene, and 45% for CO, indicating that over 90% of the carbon in pine is converted to valuable products. Pine wood produces higher yields of hydrocarbon products than Douglas fir wood; the yield of ethylene is 2.3 times higher with methane than with helium or nitrogen, and for pine, the ratio is 7.5 times higher. The mechanism appears to be a free radical reaction between CH{sub 4} and the pyrolyzed wood. There appears to be no net production or consumption of methane. A preliminary process design and analysis indicates a potentially economical competitive system for the production of ethylene, benzene and methanol based on the methanolysis of wood. 10 refs., 18 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 5925044
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-44428; CONF-900402-16; ON: DE92007574
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 199. national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Boston, MA (United States), 22-27 Apr 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
BENZENE
PRODUCTION
BIOMASS
PYROLYSIS
ETHYLENE
METHANOL
WOOD
FLASH HEATING
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
FLASH HYDROPYROLYSIS PROCESS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HIGH BTU GAS
HYDROGEN
METHANE
RADICALS
ALCOHOLS
ALKANES
ALKENES
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL LIQUEFACTION
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
HEATING
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIQUEFACTION
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
090900* - Biomass Fuels- Processing- (1990-)
400800 - Combustion
Pyrolysis
& High-Temperature Chemistry