Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass

Abstract

Converting lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels compatible with the existing petroleum refinery infrastructure requires removal of oxygen from the carbohydrate and lignin-derived molecules. The necessary deoxygenation can be achieved through the rejection of water and carbon oxides which occurs at 4000-600C in the presence of catalysts. The yield of hydrocarbons could theoretically reach 35% of the biomass feedstock. So far, the highest yields achieved were in the range of 12-18%. The most promising deoxygenation catalysts belong to the group of medium-pore size zeolites such as ZSM-5. This chapter reviews the research in the field and provides numerous references to the original work in the area of catalytic pyrolysis of biomass. It also reports on some recent experimental results obtained at National Renewable Energy Laboratory.