Advances in Biomass Pyrolysis Processes

Dear Colleagues,

Pyrolysis continues to emerge as a pivotal technology for sustainable energy and material production, offering significant potential in the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into bio-oil, biochar, and non-condensable gases. This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge developments in pyrolysis technology, emphasizing the transition from laboratory-scale innovations to industrial applications. It will cover recent advancements in reactor engineering, including novel configurations and autothermal systems designed for enhanced heat transfer and process intensification. Contributions exploring the optimization of process parameters—temperature, heating rate, and residence time—through advanced control systems and process integration are encouraged. The issue will also feature studies involving in and ex situ catalytic pyrolysis, reactive catalytic pyrolysis, catalytic hydropyrolysis and bio-oil hydrodeoxygenation for reducing the content of oxygenates in resulting bio-oils, along with the development of novel catalysts tailored to specific biomass and/or bio-oil compositions. Mechanistic studies elucidating reaction kinetics, mass and heat transfer phenomena, and the influence of feedstock physicochemical properties on pyrolysis behavior will be featured. Furthermore, innovations in feedstock preprocessing such as torrefaction, hydrothermal carbonization, and co-pyrolysis with plastics or other waste streams will be highlighted. Emphasis will also be placed on multi-scale modeling approaches that integrate reactor dynamics with molecular-level reaction kinetics. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) of pyrolysis systems, particularly regarding carbon sequestration, biochar's role in soil amendment, and closed-loop circular bioeconomy, are key aspects of this issue. The goal is to foster deeper insights into the complexities of pyrolysis systems, supporting the industrial scale-up of efficient, low-emission biomass valorization pathways.

Dr. Güray Yildiz
Dr. Jiawei Wang
Dr. Gartzen Lopez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.