Flash hydropyrolysis and methanolysis of biomass with hydrogen and methane

Conference · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5722271

Steinberg, M

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/sup 0/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/sup 0/C and approximately 1 sec residence time, the yields based on pine wood carbon conversion are up to 30% 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 an economically competitive system for the production of ethylene, benzene and methanol based on the methanolysis of wood. 8 refs., 18 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5722271
• Report Number(s): BNL-36366; CONF-850512-2; ON: DE85013291
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALCOHOLS
ALKANES
ALKENES
AROMATICS
BENZENE
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CONIFERS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ETHYLENE
FLASH HYDROPYROLYSIS PROCESS
FLUIDS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
HIGH BTU GAS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIQUEFACTION
METHANATION
METHANE
METHANOL
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PINES
PLANTS
PYROLYSIS
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TREES
WOOD