Thermal degradation of cellulose in alkali
Biomass in an alkaline aqueous slurry can be liquefied by heat and pressure. Understanding the mechanisms of biomass liquefaction to improve the efficiency of converting biomass to useful products, particularly chemicals and synthetic fuels is discussed. To study the chemical mechanisms of this process, pure cellulose, the main component of biomass, was liquefied. The 78 cellulose liquefaction products that were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry include polyols, furans, ketones, hydrocarbons, and aromatic compounds. Polyols may be formed by hydrogenolytic cleavage. Furans an cyclic ketones may be cyclization products of dicarbonyl intermediates formed by aldol condensation of small initial degradation products such as acetone and acrolein. Several of these small carbonyl compounds were used as model compounds to test proposed mechanisms for furans and cyclic ketones and obtained products supporting five of the mechanisms. For the best case of 26 cellulose liquefaction experiments, 34% of the initial mass of the cellulose was converted to acetone-soluble oil with a heat of combustion of 14,000 Btu/lb.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 6667390
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-8603; CONF-801210-21
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Application of direct thermal liquefaction for the conversion of cellulosic biomass
Investigation of Thermochemistry Associated with the Carbon–Carbon Coupling Reactions of Furan and Furfural Using ab Initio Methods
Related Subjects
090122 -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
090222 -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
ALCOHOLS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CELLULOSE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COMBUSTION HEAT
ENERGY
ENTHALPY
FURANS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HEAT
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
LIQUEFACTION
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYSACCHARIDES
REACTION HEAT
SACCHARIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMAL DEGRADATION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES