title: Biomass Conversion to Produce Hydrocarbon Liquid Fuel Via Hot-vapor Filtered Fast Pyrolysis and Catalytic Hydrotreating.
abstract: Lignocellulosic biomass conversion to produce biofuels has received significant attention because of the quest for a replacement for fossil fuels. Among the various thermochemical and biochemical routes, fast pyrolysis followed by catalytic hydrotreating is considered to be a promising near-term opportunity. This paper reports on experimental methods used 1) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass to produce bio-oils in a fluidized-bed reactor and 2) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for catalytic hydrotreating of bio-oils in a two-stage, fixed-bed, continuous-flow catalytic reactor. The configurations of the reactor systems, the operating procedures, and the processing and analysis of feedstocks, bio-oils, and biofuels are described in detail in this paper. We also demonstrate hot-vapor filtration during fast pyrolysis to remove fine char particles and inorganic contaminants from bio-oil. Representative results showed successful conversion of biomass feedstocks to fuel-range hydrocarbon biofuels and, specifically, the effect of hot-vapor filtration on bio-oil production and upgrading. The protocols provided in this report could help to generate rigorous and reliable data for biomass pyrolysis and bio-oil hydrotreating research.
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Biological Process Development, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL); Huamin.Wang@pnnl.gov.
authors.forename: Huamin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Chemical and Biological Process Development, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
authors.forename: Douglas C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deutch
authors.affiliation: National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iisa
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D002384:Catalysis; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D002482:Cellulose