(604u) Effect of Lignin Content on Pyrolysis Bio-Oil Properties

Bio-oil generated from the fast pyrolysis of woody biomass can be upgraded to a renewable transportation fuel or directly used as an alternative energy source. Woody biomass is composed of three main components: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The interactions of these structural carbohydrates and lignin during pyrolysis, and how feedstock variations effect product distribution is not well understood. This research aims to see how the product distribution changes when the lignin content changes. As lignin increases, it is expected that there would also be an increase in the elemental C/O ratio, and a reduction in chemically formed water - leading to an overall higher quality of bio-oil. The thermochemical breakdown of the lignin component is known to produce energy dense products, such as higher carbon-number molecules and polyphenolic compounds.  To quantify that point, this poster aims to show a positive correlation between the lignin content of poplar and the energy density of bio-oil. Key polyphenolic compounds will be identified using GC-MS.  Quantitative changes in the product distribution can then be interpreted in the context of an alternative fuel, and subsequent upgrading stages to produce renewable transportation fuels.  Five genetically different poplar samples (1.0 mg and 500 µm) of varying composition (lignin content) will be pyrolyzed using a micro-pyrolysis unit (CDS 5200HP) in a high purity helium atmosphere. Species analysis will conducted using a Trace GC coupled with a DSQII MS (ThermoFisher).