Production, Upgrading and analysis of Bio-oils derived from lignocellulosic biomass

Abstract

In view of the increase in global energy requirements, pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass gains significant impetus as a promising source of renewable energy and valuable chemicals. This pyrolysis oil is a complex mixture of simple organic, inorganic, and macromolecular compounds formed as a result of thermochemical breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass. It has high oxygen content and consequently a very low calorific value which renders it useless for fuel applications. As a result, appropriate upgrading is essential to make it a viable alternative to petroleum fuels. Analytical chemistry plays a key role in revealing compositional important information and helps in developing molecular-level understanding. Bio-oil production and upgrading research aimed at building up of commercial production and refining units concerns monitoring of quality and stability of initial and final products which rely strongly on analytical approaches. In the ensuing discussion, fundamental and practical aspects of research in this area have been presented. Chemical analysis with different state-of-the-art analytical techniques has been discussed in addition to the sample preparation methods.