Chemical Commodities via Pyrolysis of Biomass: Phase Equilibria Calculations to Develop Valorization Strategies

The production of chemical commodities from biomass via liquefaction, such as fast pyrolysis, is inherently linked to further refining and separation processes. With the latest developments to improve predictive capability of phase equilibria models for fast pyrolysis bio-oil (FPBO), they are now being applied to describe its fundamental behavior in cases that are relevant today. These include condensation of hot pyrolysis gases to recover FPBO and its extraction with water for further fractionation. The results clearly outline the role of condensation for controlling FPBO quality and fractionating products according to boiling points. Various value chains to produce chemical commodities via fast pyrolysis are summarized to evaluate synergetic potential between them.