Vapor phase upgrading shows promise for improving the properties of oils produced from the fast pyrolysis biomass. The high oxygen content of raw pyrolysis oils (30 � 40 wt%) results in undesirable properties with regards to use as a refinery feedstock or blend stock. This includes reactivity, corrosivity, viscosity and immiscibility in organic solvents. Using acidic catalysts, such as zeolites, to remove the oxygen can improve these properties allowing introduction into the fuels supply chain. However, upgrading using zeolite catalysts typically results in low carbon yields, partially due to the deposition of carbon on the catalysts. It is clear that some of this carbon deposit is due to the formation of graphitic coke formation, but there may also be carbon trapped in the micropores in the form of hydrocarbons that are more hydrogen rich than coke. Releasing these materials during or after upgrading could improve the yields of carbonaceous oils, and steam may be effective at removing organic molecules from the micropores. In this presentation, we will describe our studies of vapor phase upgrading in which we have used steam to strip products out of catalysts during vapor phase upgrading so as to improve product yield and to help understand reaction mechanisms

Steam stripping during upgrading of biomass Pyrolysis vapors

247th National Meeting (2014)

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