Technologies for thermochemical conversion of agricultural and forestry residues into fuels and chemicals

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Pyrolytic conversion of a large variety of agricultural and forestry residues into liquid bio-oils and solid biochar is a very attractive technology that has been perfected and scaled up in our laboratories of the Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR). Bio-oils offer a large variety of alternative applications, including their use as fuels, pesticides, insecticides, flavors, and pharmaceuticals. However, their characteristics vary greatly as a function of the original feedstock and of the operating conditions and, typically, they cannot be immediately utilized without further processing and upgrading. Similarly, the pyrolytic bio-char needs to be upgraded to take full advantage of its characteristics and maximize its value. Therefore, building on previous experience and track record, the main objectives of the proposed research program include (a) continuous improvements of the fluid bed technology to allow the efficient processing of an ever expanding array of materials that are carefully selected to avoid competition with food or other more efficient biological conversion processes (agricultural and forestry residues, co-products of the food processing industry, and byproducts generated in biological conversion processes), and (b) the development of upgrading technologies for bio-oils and bio-chars produced from different residues to make them suitable for integration into the existing markets for conventional fossil fuels and chemicals as individual products or as blends. These objectives will be achieved by undertaking new projects, all involving graduate students, on (1) the improvement of the solid feeders for fluid bed pyrolyzers to handle cohesive and fibrous biomass materials; (2) investigating fractional condensation to achieve a primary separation of fractions of bio-oil that could then separately utilized or upgraded using appropriate reaction pathways; (3) studying physical and chemical upgrading of bio-chars; and (4) conducting a comprehensive research program on bio-oil catalytic and thermal upgrading, including the potential and synergies derived from the co-processing (co-pyrolysis) of biomass/bio-oils and of Canadian heavy hydrocarbons (refinery heavy bottoms, heavy oils and bitumens).