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Title: Aqueous stream characterization from biomass fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis

Abstract

Biomass pyrolysis offers a promising means to rapidly depolymerize lignocellulosic biomass for subsequent catalytic upgrading to renewable fuels. Substantial efforts are currently ongoing to optimize pyrolysis processes including various fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis schemes. In all cases, complex aqueous streams are generated containing solubilized organic compounds that are not converted to target fuels or chemicals and are often slated for wastewater treatment, in turn creating an economic burden on the biorefinery. Valorization of the species in these aqueous streams, however, offers significant potential for substantially improving the economics and sustainability of thermochemical biorefineries. To that end, here we provide a thorough characterization of the aqueous streams from four pilot-scale pyrolysis processes: namely, from fast pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis with downstream fractionation, in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis, and ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis. These configurations and processes represent characteristic pyrolysis processes undergoing intense development currently. Using a comprehensive suite of aqueous-compatible analytical techniques, we quantitatively characterize between 12 g kg-1 of organic carbon of a highly aqueous catalytic fast pyrolysis stream and up to 315 g kg-1 of organic carbon present in the fast pyrolysis aqueous streams. In all cases, the analysis ranges between 75 and 100% of mass closure.more » The composition and stream properties closely match the nature of pyrolysis processes, with high contents of carbohydrate-derived compounds in the fast pyrolysis aqueous phase, high acid content in nearly all streams, and mostly recalcitrant phenolics in the heavily deoxygenated ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis stream. Overall, this work provides a detailed compositional analysis of aqueous streams from leading thermochemical processes - analyses that are critical for subsequent development of selective valorization strategies for these waste streams.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. RTI International, Triangle Park, NC (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); RTI International, Triangle Park, NC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1335105
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1773380
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5100-67259
Journal ID: ISSN 2168-0485
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; EE0006636
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 4; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 2168-0485
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; biomass conversion; biorefinery; pyrolysis; reforming; thermochemical conversion; wastewater; separation science; biomass; ionization; aromatic compounds; Pyrolysis, Reforming, Wastewater, Biomass conversion, Biorefinery, Thermochemical conversion

Citation Formats

Black, Brenna A., Michener, William E., Ramirez, Kelsey J., Biddy, Mary J., Knott, Brandon C., Jarvis, Mark W., Olstad, Jessica, Mante, Ofei D., Dayton, David C., and Beckham, Gregg T. Aqueous stream characterization from biomass fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01766.
Black, Brenna A., Michener, William E., Ramirez, Kelsey J., Biddy, Mary J., Knott, Brandon C., Jarvis, Mark W., Olstad, Jessica, Mante, Ofei D., Dayton, David C., & Beckham, Gregg T. Aqueous stream characterization from biomass fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01766
Black, Brenna A., Michener, William E., Ramirez, Kelsey J., Biddy, Mary J., Knott, Brandon C., Jarvis, Mark W., Olstad, Jessica, Mante, Ofei D., Dayton, David C., and Beckham, Gregg T. Mon . "Aqueous stream characterization from biomass fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01766. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1335105.
@article{osti_1335105,
title = {Aqueous stream characterization from biomass fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis},
author = {Black, Brenna A. and Michener, William E. and Ramirez, Kelsey J. and Biddy, Mary J. and Knott, Brandon C. and Jarvis, Mark W. and Olstad, Jessica and Mante, Ofei D. and Dayton, David C. and Beckham, Gregg T.},
abstractNote = {Biomass pyrolysis offers a promising means to rapidly depolymerize lignocellulosic biomass for subsequent catalytic upgrading to renewable fuels. Substantial efforts are currently ongoing to optimize pyrolysis processes including various fast pyrolysis and catalytic fast pyrolysis schemes. In all cases, complex aqueous streams are generated containing solubilized organic compounds that are not converted to target fuels or chemicals and are often slated for wastewater treatment, in turn creating an economic burden on the biorefinery. Valorization of the species in these aqueous streams, however, offers significant potential for substantially improving the economics and sustainability of thermochemical biorefineries. To that end, here we provide a thorough characterization of the aqueous streams from four pilot-scale pyrolysis processes: namely, from fast pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis with downstream fractionation, in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis, and ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis. These configurations and processes represent characteristic pyrolysis processes undergoing intense development currently. Using a comprehensive suite of aqueous-compatible analytical techniques, we quantitatively characterize between 12 g kg-1 of organic carbon of a highly aqueous catalytic fast pyrolysis stream and up to 315 g kg-1 of organic carbon present in the fast pyrolysis aqueous streams. In all cases, the analysis ranges between 75 and 100% of mass closure. The composition and stream properties closely match the nature of pyrolysis processes, with high contents of carbohydrate-derived compounds in the fast pyrolysis aqueous phase, high acid content in nearly all streams, and mostly recalcitrant phenolics in the heavily deoxygenated ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis stream. Overall, this work provides a detailed compositional analysis of aqueous streams from leading thermochemical processes - analyses that are critical for subsequent development of selective valorization strategies for these waste streams.},
doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01766},
journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering},
number = 12,
volume = 4,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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Cited by: 49 works
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