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Cortaderia selloana (CS), is an invasive and exotic species that is generating significant invasive problems in the Iberian Peninsula ecosystems. The objective of this research was to study this plant potential thorough a pyrolytic process helping to reduce its expansion. Stems and leaves were subjected to conventional and flash pyrolysis. These processes were carried out in an original design oven using a 25 °C/min heating ramp at a 750 °C temperature and during 60 min at the pyrolysis temperature for conventional pyrolysis and with 750 °C and 850 °C pyrolysis temperatures for flash. Gas-fraction obtained by flash pyrolysis had higher HHV data when compared with conventional ones (∼17 MJ/kg vs ∼5 MJ/kg) due to their less CO 2 and higher CO, CH 4 and H 2. The greater bio-oil yield was obtained for CSS-P (33.58%). The composition of conventional pyrolysis bio-oils had an overbearing of nonaromatic and monoaromatic hydrocarbons nature whereas bio-oils from flash pyrolysis were composed mainly of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Bio-char fraction was higher in CSL than CSS with HHV similar to lignite and bituminous coals (22.74–29.12 MJ/kg). After done the quantification and characterization of the fractions, it was concluded that a possible energetic valorization of Cortaderia selloana biomass was possible. Image 1 • Valorization of invasive pampa grass (Cortaderia selloana) by pyrolysis technology. • Different HHV for flash and conventional pyrolysis bio-oils (∼ 33 MJ/kg vs ∼ 23 MJ/kg). • Gas is the main fraction of the flash and conventional pyrolysis (up to 62%). • Flash pyrolysis promotes a biogas with more CH 4 , H 2 , CO and synthesis gas content. • Bio-chars from stems present a HHV (up to 29 MJ/kg) in the order of bituminous coals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a novel method of using algae biomass as a source of lipid and various other co-products. Solvent-based extraction techniques could yield a number of products simultaneously. Further, the study focuses on all possible characterization and utilization of the three layers obtained from chloroform-methanol extraction of lipids. The lipid from the chloroform layer was transesterified for Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) production. The fatty acid methyl esters derived by oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid and phytol were majorly analysed by GC-MS. The methanol layer was analysed with HPLC and stachyose, maltotriose, glucose, fructose, acetic acid, butyric acid, DMSO, glycerol were identified. The cell debris was further physically activated, and physiochemical properties of raw algae, residual algae and algae bio-char were compared. Spectrum peaks of FTIR study identified many alkyl‒halide stretches. Similarly, EDX analysed the presence of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, potassium, chlorine, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. The SEM reveals that residual algae was comparatively crystalline and hence could not be utilized directly as an adsorbent. Therefore, further physical treatment was applied, and methylene blue dye adsorption study was also conducted to know the time and capacity of biochar as an adsorbent. However, organic and mineral enriched biomass could be used directly as fertilizer for agricultural purposes. Image 1 • Detection and application proposal of compounds from chloroform: methanol solvent extraction. • C16:1, C18:1, C18:3 and phytol were observed from chloroform layer. • Stachyose, maltotriose, glucose, fructose, acetic acid, butyric acid, DMSO and glycerol were analysed from methanol layer. • The presence of C, N, O, K, Cl, Ca, Fe, Mg, P and alkyl‒halide were observed from solid algae biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An unpublished low-cost industrial biomass waste, pomegranate peel, as alternative and sustainable fuel source was studied. A horizontal tubular furnace of original design for conventional and flash pyrolysis was carried out. The bio-char yields from both processes were similar, but the bio-oil and bio-gas yields were higher in flash pyrolysis, depending on the temperature. The bio-char obtained show that it could be used as a fuel (higher heating values ≥ 28.0 MJ/kg) and as a potential precursor of activated carbon. It was also found that the lower temperature of the flash pyrolysis was, the greater the bio-oil yield (∼53%) and that the higher was, the greater the biogas yield (∼50%). The bio-oil from conventional pyrolysis has a predominantly furanic nature and contained significant amounts of the phenols and benzenes. In contrast, the bio-oil from flash pyrolysis is similar to that of "anthracene oil", both of them being composed mainly of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The bio-gas obtained by flash pyrolysis is of a higher quality than that obtained by conventional pyrolysis because it has a lower CO 2 content (32.4% vs 66.6%) and higher syngas content (CO + H 2) (50.8% vs 26.8%). Flash pyrolysis is better in CH 4 production (11.6% vs 4.6%). Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Valorization of industrial pomegranate peels waste by pyrolysis technologies. • The bio-char yield (∼30%) was similar in flash and conventional pyrolysis. • HHV of the flash and conventional bio-chars improved from 17.1 MJ/kg to ∼28.5 MJ/kg. • Flash pyrolysis generates higher bio-oil and bio-gas fractions than conventional one. • Flash pyrolysis favours the CH 4 , H 2 , CO, and syngas production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A method for production of manufactured biomass microspheres is introduced. • The pyrolysis of the microspheres was shown to be the same as the parent materials. • The volumetric shrinkage of the microspheres was found to be an intrinsic property. • Shrinkage and weight loss were co-linear in the absence of secondary reaction. Abstract A method for manufacturing biomass microspheres is introduced. Biomass microspheres between 100 and 400 µm in diameter were produced from crystalline cellulose, switchgrass, and tall fescue using spray drying. The biomass microspheres were characterized using X-ray computed tomography (XCT), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and real-time optical imaging: density, pore structure, and size effects were studied. Dynamic shrinkage was video-captured using a CMOS camera and parallel (paired, side-by-side) weight loss experiments were performed using TGA. The combined data was used to correlate the extent of pyrolysis to gross morphological change (shrinkage). The results show that manufactured biomass microspheres are uniform and that, in the absence of heat and mass transport limitations, pyrolysis shrinkage is an intrinsic property dependent only upon the final processing temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Thermal pyrolysis of Cassia siamea was studied. • Maximum yield was 39.86 wt% of organic liquid (oil) and 10.35 wt% of aqueous liquid. • Pyrolytic oil was basic with a pH of 8.75 and calorific value of 30.18 MJ kg−1. • Pyrolytic oil includes phenols, aromatics, esters, alkanes, acids, and nitriles. • Pyrolytic char was rich in carbon (57.34%) with a calorific value of 21.894 MJ kg−1. Abstract Thermal pyrolysis of the Cassia siamea seed was carried out in a fixed bed reactor in the temperature range of 450 °C and 575 °C at a heating rate of 50 °C min−1. The reactor was maintained inert using nitrogen gas at a flow rate of 40 mL min−1. It was observed that the highest yield of pyrolytic liquid was 50.21% obtained at 550 °C which includes 39.86 wt% of organic liquid (oil) and 10.35 wt% of aqueous liquid. The fuel properties of pyrolytic oil confirmed that the oil was slightly basic with a pH of 8.75, having viscosity and calorific value of about 373 cSt and 30.18 MJ kg−1 respectively. The GC-MS based composition analysis quantified the occurrence of many valuable bio-chemicals such as heptadecanenitrile, 1,2-benzene dicarboxylic acid, butyl octyl ester, phenol, p-cresol as major compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of equivalence ratio (ER), oxygen concentration (OC) and fluidization velocity (FV) on the gasification performance in a pilot-scale fluidized bed with capacity of 1 ton biomass (the mixture of agricultural residue) per day were investigated using oxygen-enriched air as gasification agent and high-alumina bauxite as bed material. The characteristics of syngas (lower heating value (LHV), gas yield (Y), carbon conversion (CC) and cold gas efficiency (CGE)), bio-char (LHV and Proximate analysis) and tar (tar yield and LHV) were used to evaluate the gasification performance in this study. The results showed that 0.161 was the optimal ER due to the high quality of syngas produced and relatively lower tar generation with ER changing from 0.115 to 0.243 at OC ≈ 40% and FV ≈ 1.20.29.7% was the optimal OC due to the highest Y and CC and relatively low tar generation when OC varied from 21% to 44.7% at ER ≈ 1.40 and FV ≈ 1.15. Although higher FV could improve syngas quality, it also resulted in the higher tar yield and heavier wear, therefore, the optimal gasification performance was achieved at moderate FV (FV = 1.13). This study proved that oxygen-enriched gasification in a large-scale fluidized bed was an effective option to produce gaseous biofuels with high quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new rapid method for the qualitative analysis of solid biofuels obtained from a thermal treatment process. A new method for the qualitative confirmation of the second-generation solid bio-fuel origin was compared and assessed. The new method was compared with a method based on the concentration of 14 C carbon isotope in the studied material obtained from thermal conversion of a biomass. The developed method is intended to analyse the origin of the second-generation solid bio-fuels and is based on basic analytical fuel properties commonly measured in most laboratories. The process couples chemometric methods with proximate and ultimate analyses, heat of combustion and chemical composition of ash from second-generation solid bio-fuels. In light of the current European regulations, the second-generation bio-fuels obtained by the thermal conversion of biomass, e.g., bio-chars or torrefied biomass, are not classified as biomass. Consequently, the energy generated by these biofuels is not classified as energy generated from a renewable energy source. The currently available method, i.e., analysis of the 14 C content in samples of interest, might not be sufficiently sensitive to characterise materials from the co-pyrolysis of biomass and non-biodegradable material. Prompted by this situation, a new method for the qualitative confirmation of the second-generation solid bio-fuel origin was proposed. The BioFuel Classifier for Power Generation (BFC-PowerGen) provides a rapid and accurate determination of the origin of a fuel and can be used for controlling the quality of fuel derived from the thermal conversion of biomass. This new classifier, which is based on a classification and regression tree model, delivers a classification accuracy of at least 96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work is to develop processes for the production of bio-oil and bio-char from algae waste using the pyrolysis at controlled conditions. The pyrolysis was carried out at different temperatures 400–600 °C and different heating rates 5–50 °C/min. The algal waste, bio-oil and bio-char were successfully characterized using Elemental analysis, Chemical composition, TGA, FTIR, 1 H NMR, GC–MS and SEM. At a temperature of 500 °C and a heating rate of 10 °C/min, the maximum yield of bio-oil and bio-char was found to be 24.10 and 44.01 wt%, respectively, which was found to be strongly influenced by the temperature variation, and weakly affected by the heating rate variation. Results show that the bio-oil cannot be used as bio-fuel, but can be used as a source of value-added chemicals. On the other hand, the bio-char is a promising candidate for solid fuel applications and for the production of carbon materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch, pressurised microwave-assisted pyrolysis of hemicellulose in the absence of any external microwave absorber was found to be a promising route for the production of bio-based chemicals and biofuels. The experiments were conducted in a 10 mL batch reactor using a fixed power of 200 W employing different initial masses of xylan (0.1–0.7 g) for a maximum time, temperature and pressure of 10 min, 250 °C and 200 psi, respectively. The gas, bio-oil and solid (char) yields varied by 16–40%, 2–21% and 40–82%, respectively. Char production is preferential using a low amount of xylan (<0.25 g), while bio-oil production is favoured using a high amount of xylan (0.25–0.7 g). The effect of the sample mass is accounted for by the different physical state of the volatiles released during pyrolysis depending on the pressure attained during the experiment. This permits the process to be easily customised for the selective production of liquid (bio-oil) or solid (bio-char). Regarding the bio-oil, it is composed of a mixture of platform chemicals such as aldehydes, alkenes, phenols, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHC), cyclic ketones and furans, with the composition varying depending on the initial mass of xylan. The char had a higher proportion of C together with a lower proportion of O than the original feedstock. Energy efficiencies of 100 and 26% were achieved for char and bio-oil production, respectively; thus leading to an increase in the HHV of the products (with respect to the original feedstock) of 52% for char and 19% for bio-oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A program was funded by the U.S. Forest Service to perform pilot-scale co-firing studies at the University of Utah in a 1.5 MW pulverized-coal test facility, to examine the emissions, deposition behavior and ash characteristics, when co-firing pulverized coal with wood culled from pinion–juniper (P–J) forests in Utah. The woody material was evaluated in each of three forms: 1) raw, untreated material; 2) torrefied material, and 3) biochar from the pyrolysis of the P–J material. The different types of the thermally processed P–J material were produced by Amaron Energy in a 1/2 t per day prototype pyrolysis facility prior to the testing at the University of Utah. Results of the pilot-scale co-firing trials indicated essentially no major differences in gaseous emissions or unburned carbon in flyash or baghouse ash when co-firing pulverized coal with any of the 3 biomass fuels for the conditions investigated. In addition, no significant deposition problems would be anticipated using 5–10% biomass on a thermal input basis. Operation with 10% or greater percentage of raw or torrefied wood resulted in feeding problems at this scale; however, the bio-char could be fed with no problems for levels as high as 20% (the highest percentage tested). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, sugarcane bagasse was subjected to fast pyrolysis in a bench scale reactor to investigate the effects of pyrolysis conditions on final product distribution and properties. Van Krevelen diagram showed lowest values of H/C and O/C for bio-char followed by bio-oil. Highest bio-oil yield of 60.4% was achieved at 500°C while maximum heating value of 24.7 MJ.kg−1was found at 600°C. Increasing size of bagasse decreased both bio-oil ratio and higher heating value (HHV). An increase and decrease in bio-char yield were seen with increase in bagasse size and pyrolysis temperature, respectively. HHV of bio-char was recorded 27.8 MJ.kg−1at 600°C which decreased with further increase in temperature and bagasse size. Increase in both temperature and bagasse size increased gaseous ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present scenario of energy crisis could decipher by enhancing the energy generation using the abundant resources of biomass-waste. Coconuts are aplenty available tropical biomass. The pyrolysis experiments were carried out at a temperature range between 450 °C–600 °C at a constant heating rate of 20 °C/min. The maximum liquid yield was 49.5% at a temperature of 575 °C. The obtained artefact at an optimum condition was analyzed for the fuel properties, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis. Results inferred that the liquid product could be utilized as the alternative fuel and staple resources for valuable chemicals. The calorific value of carbonaceous residual bio-char obtained was 23.68 MJ/kg thus it could also be potentially utilized as solid fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-char and bio-oil have a potential to be used for gas cleaning in biomass pyrolysis/gasification. On one hand, tar in producer gas could be removed by physical treatment, such as oil absorption and char adsorption; on the other hand, tar could be eliminated by chemical treatment, such as catalytic conversion over char-supported catalysts. This paper reviewed the recent progress in gas cleaning especially for tar removal during biomass pyrolysis/gasification by using the by-products (i.e. bio-char, bio-oil, low-viscosity tar). In general, bio-char could effectively adsorb the light tar compounds such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), while bio-oil is normally benefit for the absorption of heavy tars. Additionally, catalytic reforming is considered as one of the promising alternatives for the removal of tars, because it converts the tars into the additional gas products. Bio-char could be used as a carbon catalyst or support with fair performance in tar removal. It is noteworthy that the char-supported catalysts could be gasified to recover energy of char without the need of frequent regeneration after deactivation. Furthermore, the carbon-based catalysts derived from bio-chars could be urgently developed for the removal of contaminants including NH 3 , H 2 S and tar simultaneously in the producer gas from the real biomass gasification processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production from the catalytic steam gasification of bio-char derived from the pyrolysis of sugar cane bagasse has been investigated in relation to gasification temperature up to 1050 °C, steam flow rate from 6 to 25 ml h −1 and type of Nickel catalyst. The catalysts used were Ni-dolomite, Ni–MgO and Ni–Al 2 O 3 , all with 10% nickel loading. The hydrogen yield in the absence of a catalyst at a gasification temperature of 950 °C was 100.97 mmol g −1 of bagasse char. However, the presence of the Ni–MgO and Ni–Al 2 O 3 catalysts produced significantly improved hydrogen yields of 178.75 and 187.25 mmol g −1 of bagasse char respectively at 950 °C. The hydrogen yield from the char with the Ni-dolomite only showed a modest increase in hydrogen yield. The influence of gasification temperature showed that the optimum temperature to obtain the highest hydrogen yield was 950 °C. Increase in gasification temperature from 750 to 950 °C significantly increased hydrogen yield from 45.30 to 187.25 mmol g −1 of bagasse char at 950 °C, but was followed by a decrease in yield at 1050 °C. The influence of steam flow rate showed that with the increase in steam flow rate from 6 to 15 ml h −1 hydrogen yield was increased from 187.25 to 208.41 mmol g −1 of bagasse char. Further increase in steam flow rate resulted in a decrease in hydrogen yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The densification of bio-chars pyrolyzed at different temperatures were investigated to elucidate the effect of temperature on the properties of bio-char pellets and determine the bonding mechanism of pellets. Optimized process conditions were obtained with 128 MPa compressive pressure and 35% water addition content. Results showed that both the volume density and compressive strength of bio-char pellets initially decreased and subsequently increased, while the energy consumption increased first and then decreased, with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. The moisture adsorption of bio-char pellets was noticeably lower than raw woody shavings but had elevated than the corresponding char particles. Hydrophilic functional groups, particle size and binder were the main factors that contributed to the cementation of bio-char particles at different temperatures. The result indicated that pyrolysis of woody shavings at 550–650 °C and followed by densification was suitable to form bio-char pellets for application as renewable biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinetics of cellulose hydrothermal carbonization was investigated over different reactions times and temperatures, developing a first order-reaction model, where chemical and heat transfer processes were connected and resolved simultaneously. According to the model, mass species evolutions are described by sigmoid curves and the presence of an induction period confirms the importance of taking into account the heat-up time and not only the T-constant period during the experiments. Moreover, the model indicates that temperature plays a main role on cellulose HTC (hydrothermal carbonization) reaction, affecting both pre-exponential and exponential factors of the kinetic constant. Finally, it is interesting to remark, from a practical viewpoint, that the model was able to describe the changes in H/C, O/C and high heating value taking place during cellulose hydrocarbonization, allowing the chemical composition and energy densification to be forecasted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-processing of woody biomass with two bio-chars (bio-chars made from switchgrass and red oak bark) was studied as a way of upgrading the pyrolysis vapors. The clean woodchips were pyrolyzed with and without bio-chars under atmospheric pressure at the target temperature of 500 °C. The co-processing with both bio-chars showed a significant influence on the bio-oil yields, moisture content and pH value of bio-oils. However, the vapor-upgrading process significantly decreased the carbon yield in the bio-oil when using switchgrass bio-char was used for co-processing. The bio-oil yield decreased from 49.31% (non-bio-char) to 44.81% with the switchgrass bio-char and to 48.68% with the bio-char from the red oak bark. The lost mass of bio-oil ended-up in the gaseous phase as reflected in an increased content of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The gaseous-phase composition of hydrogen increased from 0.82% to 3.74%, of carbon dioxide from 21.16% to 32.33%, and of carbon monoxide from 16.49% to 23.19% with the addition of the switchgrass bio-char compared to non-bio-char pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Used one of the by-products, bio-char, from bio-fuel production as asphalt modifier. [•] Different pyrolysis methods and treatment temperatures for bio-char production. [•] Micro-structural analysis through SEM. [•] Comprehensive testing matrix for modified asphalt binder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] About 14.72% of the total landmass in Malaysia was used for oil palm plantations. [•] Oil palm tree residues were pyrolyzed to produce bio-oil and bio-char. [•] The process was performed at a temperature of 500°C and reaction time of 60min. [•] Characterization of the products was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Four types of Canadian waste biomass were used for the fast pyrolysis using a mobile pyrolysis unit. [•] The effects of pyrolysis temperature were investigated on the properties of pyrolysis products for each precursor. [•] Comprehensive characterization of 4 feedstocks collected from 3 main sources of Canadian biomass (agricultural wastes, forest residue and animal manure) was performed. [•] Bio-char and bio-oil are characterized to evaluate their energy and agronomic potentials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Properties of bio-oil and bio-char of sweet sorghum bagasse were investigated. [•] The Properties of bio-oil were found to vary across the fractional condensers. [•] Using fractional condensers gave bio-oils with different compositions. [•] Bio-char has a higher carbon content, pore structure and potassium content. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examined bio-oil and bio-char fuel produced from Spirulina Sp. by slow pyrolysis. A thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) was used to investigate the pyrolytic characteristics and essential components of algae. It was found that the temperature for the maximum degradation, 322 °C, is lower than that of other biomass. With our fixed-bed reactor, 125 g of dried Spirulina Sp. algae was fed under a nitrogen atmosphere until the temperature reached a set temperature between 450 and 600 °C. It was found that the suitable temperature to obtain bio-char and bio-oil were at approximately 500 and 550 °C respectively. The bio-oil components were identified by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The saturated functional carbon of the bio-oil was in a range of heavy naphtha, kerosene and diesel oil. The energy consumption ratio (ECR) of bio-oil and bio-char was calculated, and the net energy output was positive. The ECR had an average value of 0.49. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residues from the palm oil industry are the main contributors to biomass waste in Malaysia, and these wastes require extra attention with respect to handling. The biomass waste is a renewable resource that can potentially be used to produce absorbents, fuels, and chemical feedstocks through the pyrolysis process. In this study, the wastes of palm shell, empty fruit bunches, and mesocarp fiber were characterized and then pyrolyzed in a fixed-bed reactor under the following conditions: a temperature of 500 °C, a nitrogen flow rate of 2 L/min and reaction time of 60 min. After pyrolysis, characterization of the products with an emphasis on the bio-oil and the bio-char was performed using various approaches (including Karl Fischer water-content tests, FTIR, SEM, TGA and CNH/O analyses). The results showed that the pyrolysis of palm oil wastes yielded more bio-oil than bio-char or non-condensable gases. The results also indicated that all of the bio-oils were acidic and contained high levels of oxygen. The bio-oils heating values were low and varied from 10.49 MJ/kg to 14.78 MJ/kg. The heating values of the bio-chars (20-30 MJ/kg) were higher than those of the bio-oils. Among the biomasses studied in this work, palm shell contained the highest level of lignin and showed the highest levels of bio-char yield and fixed and elemental carbon in the raw and bio-char form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new technique to pyrolyse biomass in microwave (MW) system is presented in this paper to solve the problem of bio-oil deposition. Pyrolysis of oil palm shell (OPS) biomass was conducted in 800W and 2.45GHz frequency MW system using an activated carbon as a MW absorber. The temperature profile, product yield and the properties of the products were found to depend on the stirrer speed and MW absorber percentage. The highest bio-oil yield of 28wt.% was obtained at 25% MW absorber and 50rpm stirrer speed. Bio-char showed highest calorific value of the 29.5MJ/kg at 50% MW absorber and 100rpm stirrer speed. Bio-oil from this study was rich in phenol with highest detected as 85 area% from the GC–MS results. Thus, OPS bio-oil can become potential alternative to petroleum-based chemicals in various phenolic based applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pyrolysis of corn stover was carried out in a pressurized batch reactor to investigate production of potential bio-fuels from biomass wastes. Product yields and characteristics as well as conversion efficiencies were evaluated at varying temperatures of 400, 500 and 600°C and at moderate pressure. Maximum bio-char yield of 37.3wt.% and liquid product yield of 31.4% were obtained at 400°C while the gas yield was maximum at 600°C (21.2wt.%). Bio-char characterization through its energy content, proximate and ultimate analyses indicated its potential as alternative solid fuel, as revealed in the Van Krevelen diagram. FTIR and GC–MS analyses of the bio-oil showed that its major components are phenolic compounds, with significant proportions of aromatic and aliphatic compounds. The gas product mainly consisted of methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, with energy content ranging from 10.1 to 21.7MJm−3. Mass and energy conversion efficiencies were evaluated, which indicated that majority of the mass and energy contained in the feedstock was transferred to the bio-char. Results showed that pyrolysis of corn stover produced potentially valuable sources of fuel and chemical feedstock. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work, a response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effects of temperature (A), feed rate (B) and gas flow rate (C) on the liquid yield, char yield and pH of the biocrude oil. Box–Behnken design was chosen and a total number of 15 experimental runs including 3 center runs were generated for the pyrolysis of a mixture of 50 wt.% layer manure and 50 wt.% loblolly pine wood shavings in a 50 mm bubbling fluidized bed reactor. The operational variables were as follows: temperature (400–550 °C), nitrogen gas flow rate (12–24 L/min), and feed rate (160–480 g/h). A second-order regression models were used to predict the responses. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed with Minitab 16 software and the significant effect of the factors and their interaction effects were tested at 95% confidence interval. The biocrude yield was significantly influenced by temperature, feed rate and gas flow rate. Temperature was the only significant factor that influenced the char yield. Maximum biocrude yield (51.1 wt.%) was achieved at 475 °C with a feed rate of 480 g/h and a gas rate of 12 L/min. The lowest char yield (22.6 wt.%) was achieved at 550 °C, 320 g/h and 12 L/min and the biocrude had the highest pH (4.85) at 475 °C, 160 g/h and 24 L/min. The predictive models proposed agreed with the experimental values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the potential conversion of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii biomass harvested after hydrogen production. The spent algal biomass was converted into nitrogen-rich bio-char, biodiesel and pyrolysis oil (bio-oil). The yield of lipids (algal oil), obtained by solvent extraction, was 15±2% w/wdry-biomass. This oil was converted into biodiesel with a 8.7±1% w/wdry-biomass yield. The extraction residue was pyrolysed in a fixed bed reactor at 350°C obtaining bio-char as the principal fraction (44±1% w/wdry-biomass) and 28±2% w/wdry-biomass of bio-oil. Pyrolysis fractions were characterized by elemental analysis, while the chemical composition of bio-oil was fully characterized by GC–MS, using various derivatization techniques. Energy outputs resulting from this approach were distributed in hydrogen (40%), biodiesel (12%) and pyrolysis fractions (48%), whereas bio-char was the largest fraction in terms of mass. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The pyrolysis of tea waste was studied for determining the main characteristics and quantities of liquid and solid products. Particular investigated process variables were temperature (673–973K), heating rate (5–700Kmin−1) and nitrogen gas flow rate (200–800cm3 min−1). The maximum oil and char yields are 30.4 (773K) and 43.3% (673K), respectively. The liquid and its aliphatic sub-fraction were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, and GC/MS. The char was characterized with elemental analysis, SEM, BET, and FT-IR techniques. The aliphatic sub-fraction of the obtained bio-oil contains predominantly n-alkanes and alkenes, and branched hydrocarbons. According to the experimental results the liquid products can be used as liquid fuels, whereas the solid product seems to be not suitable for adsorption purposes, due to having low surface areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bio-oil and bio-char were produced from corn cobs and corn stover (stalks, leaves and husks) by fast pyrolysis using a pilot scale fluidized bed reactor. Yields of 60% (mass/mass) bio-oil (high heating values are ∼20MJkg−1, and densities >1.0Mgm−3) were realized from both corn cobs and from corn stover. The high energy density of bio-oil, ∼20–32 times on a per unit volume basis over the raw corn residues, offers potentially significant savings in transportation costs particularly for a distributed “farm scale” bio-refinery system. Bio-char yield was 18.9% and 17.0% (mass/mass) from corn cobs and corn stover, respectively. Deploying the bio-char co-product, which contains most of the nutrient minerals from the corn residues, as well as a significant amount of carbon, to the land can enhance soil quality, sequester carbon, and alleviate environmental problems associated with removal of crop residues from fields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The term biofuel is referred to liquid, gas and solid fuels predominantly produced from biomass. Biofuels include energy security reasons, environmental concerns, foreign exchange savings, and socioeconomic issues related to the rural sector. Biofuels include bioethanol, biomethanol, vegetable oils, biodiesel, biogas, bio-synthetic gas (bio-syngas), bio-oil, bio-char, Fischer-Tropsch liquids, and biohydrogen. Most traditional biofuels, such as ethanol from corn, wheat, or sugar beets, and biodiesel from oil seeds, are produced from classic agricultural food crops that require high-quality agricultural land for growth. Bioethanol is a petrol additive/substitute. Biomethanol can be produced from biomass using bio-syngas obtained from steam reforming process of biomass. Biomethanol is considerably easier to recover than the bioethanol from biomass. Ethanol forms an azeotrope with water so it is expensive to purify the ethanol during recovery. Methanol recycles easier because it does not form an azeotrope. Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly alternative liquid fuel that can be used in any diesel engine without modification. There has been renewed interest in the use of vegetable oils for making biodiesel due to its less polluting and renewable nature as against the conventional petroleum diesel fuel. Due to its environmental merits, the share of biofuel in the automotive fuel market will grow fast in the next decade. There are several reasons for biofuels to be considered as relevant technologies by both developing and industrialized countries. Biofuels include energy security reasons, environmental concerns, foreign exchange savings, and socioeconomic issues related to the rural sector. The biofuel economy will grow rapidly during the 21st century. Its economy development is based on agricultural production and most people live in the rural areas. In the most biomass-intensive scenario, modernized biomass energy contributes by 2050 about one half of total energy demand in developing countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This research explores the opportunities of combining energy production with a biochar soil management using a pyrolysis process. Real-world issues justify this approach: the need to provide sustainable production systems that minimize on- and off-site pollution and soil degradation; and the demand for solutions to global warming. The proposed technology is a pyrolysis process that yields gas, bio-oil and biochar. The composition and heating value of the gas makes it suitable for use as a fuel. The bio-oil obtained may be evaluated as an environmentally friendly green biofuel candidate. The biochar product is carbon-rich and a potential solid biofuel. Other ways it might be used as a C and N source in soil amendment. This is a key to securing environmental benefits: the production of a biochar which can be applied to soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]