Catalytic Pyrolysis of Biomass: Latest Advances and Prospects

Dear Colleagues,

Pyrolysis of biomass to produce fuels and chemicals has faced challenges because of the poor stability of pyrolysis products. Numerous methods have been investigated to stabilize these oils for upgrading into higher value products, but most of these methods are not effective and tend to increase the overall cost of the pyrolysis products. Catalytic pyrolysis, the latest and ongoing technique being investigated to improve oil properties, appears promising. The catalytic pyrolysis process has evolved along two pathways, in situ and ex situ catalytic pyrolysis. In both cases, biomass pyrolysis products are contacted with a catalyst to improve the stability of the oils. The difference between the two methods is the mode of contact with the catalyst. For in situ catalytic pyrolysis, the catalyst serves as both a heat transfer medium and catalyst, and therefore, the raw biomass feed is in intimate contact with the catalyst. In contrast, during ex situ catalytic pyrolysis, pyrolysis reactions and upgrading take place in different reaction vessels. Pyrolysis normally occurs in inert heat transfer media, and the vapors are then contacted with the catalyst after separation from the biochar. There are pros and cons to each of this method for producing pyrolysis oils. In general, both methods produce relatively stable oils compared to conventional pyrolysis oils. The oil yields tend to be lower than conventional pyrolysis using inert media such as sand. The catalytic pyrolysis process tends to produce more char/coke, gases, and pyrolytic water compared to the conventional pyrolysis process. The yields of catalytic pyrolysis products are strongly dependent on the choice of catalyst used in the process. Typical catalysts used in these processes include acidic catalysts such as various zeolites and their modifications, oxide catalysts and their modifications and basic catalysts. In this Special Edition, we cover the state-of-the-art in catalytic pyrolysis. This includes fundamental studies, applied studies, and performance of these oils during upgrading to hydrocarbon fuels. 

Subtopics invited to this Special Edition include but are not limited to:

• In situ catalytic pyrolysis of biomass: a review;
• Ex situ catalytic pyrolysis of biomass: a review;
• Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass using red mud;
• Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass using oxide catalysts;
• Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass using zeolite and other acidic catalysts;
• Fundamentals of catalytic pyrolysis of biomass;
• Hydrodeoxygenation upgrading of catalytic pyrolysis oils;
• Upgrading of catalytic pyrolysis oils without hydrogen;
• Miscellaneous methods of catalytic pyrolysis oils upgrading;
• Future of catalytic pyrolysis of biomass.

Prof. Dr. Foster Agblevor
Guest Editor

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