(135d) Fractional Catalytic Pyrolysis of Biomass for Stable Pyrolysis Oils and Hydrocarbon Fuels Production

Pyrolysis of biomass is developing rapidly and could play a very important role in the future renewable energy equation. However, rapid pyrolysis oils are usually acidic, unstable and have high viscosities that increase with storage time. We have developed fractional catalytic pyrolysis process that produces stable, low viscosity biomass pyrolysis oils that can be stored at ambient conditions without any significant increase in viscosity. The oils can be distilled at both atmospheric pressure and under vacuum without char or solid formation. Fractional catalytic pyrolysis oils produced from hybrid poplar wood was stored at ambient laboratory condition for more than 10 months and the dynamic viscosities changed from 11.2 ±0.45 cP to 12.7 cP ± 0.56 The oils were also characterized using the high temperature simulated distillation method and this showed 100% distillation at up to 640 oC (1200 F). About 15% of the stable pyrolysis oils were blended with Standard Gulf Coast gasoil and cracked in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit into various fuel fractions. There was no difference in both conversion and yields of various products from the blend and the standard Gulf Coast gasoil. The pyrolysis oil/gasoil blend produced slightly less coke than the standard gasoil feedstock. 13C-NMR and FTIR analysis of the cracked fractions did not show any oxygenates in the products.