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At least 163 records · Page 9

Using Chemical Reactor Models to Predict Fluidized Bed Pyrolysis Yields of Biomass Feedstocks

A detailed biomass pyrolysis kinetics scheme is implemented in reduced-order reactor models to predict chemical species yields from a fluidized bed reactor. The biomass composition in terms of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignins, and extractives are determined for several biomass feedstocks. Model results are compared to yields measured from a two-inch diameter bench-scale fluidized bed reactor operating at fast pyrolysis conditions. The reduced-order chemical reactor models compare favorably with the experimental measurements and capture trends in product yields due to biomass compositional effects such as high ash content. This work offers a computationally inexpensive approach to predict the quality of biomass pyrolysis products in a timely manner. Source code for the reactor models along with a biomass composition web tool are made available online for future scientific research efforts.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Determination of Phenolic Groups in Bio-Oils Using Revised Folin-Ciocalteu Methods: Single Cuvette and Plate Reader. Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP), Issue Date: May 12, 2022

Phenol components are ubiquitous in wood-derived bio-oils and biocrudes. Their reaction with other functional groups (e.g., aldehydes) may contribute to the formation of carbonaceous species and the expected thermal instability of pyrolysis oils. During hydrotreating, phenols can be recalcitrant species, requiring higher reaction temperatures than other oxygen-containing functional groups. Phenols are also present in upgraded products and have been shown to lead to catalyst deactivation during hydrotreating. They also are the first oxygenated functional group to re-appear in the upgraded product, signaling catalyst deactivation. This procedure covers the determination of phenolic compounds in fast pyrolysis oils. This Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP) includes two methods, the first allowing for shorter analysis time at increased reaction temperature, while the second employs a longer analysis time but at room temperature. Additionally, the use of both a single cuvette and of a plate reader are also presented.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio)

New capabilities to predict, design and control the chemistries of carbon could answer a global imperative to transition from fossil-based to sustainable transportation fuels. While the use of inexpensive hydrocarbons has been an unparalleled achievement and enabler of economic prosperity for many nations, singular dependence upon crude oil has given rise to systemic vulnerabilities in climate, energy, economic, and national security. Lignocellulosic biomass, a renewable and carbon-neutral resource, has the potential to displace an estimated annual equivalent of three billion barrels of oil in the U.S. alone (National Research Council 2009, U. S. Department of Energy, 2011). However, biomass has only one-third the energy density of crude oil (Agrawal and Singh 2009, Richard 2010) and lacks petroleum’s versatility as a feedstock for fuels and chemicals. These limitations keep biomass conversion below the efficiency level needed for strategic impact while the scientific challenge of routing carbon from one molecular context to another remains unmet. In 2009, the Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio) recognized the potential of chemical catalysis and fast pyrolysis to overcome such limitations by transforming the main components of biomass (cellulose, xylan, and lignin) from grasses and trees directly to liquid hydrocarbons and aromatic co-products. Enabled by the EFRC high-risk, high-reward approach to grand challenge science, C3Bio researchers have been key national players in disrupting the conventional paradigm of the cellulosic biorefinery into a new future of “no carbon left behind”—the full utilization of carbon from plant cell walls in energy-dense fuels (Fig. 1). We identified catalytic and fast-pyrolytic pathways that utilize cellulose, xylan and, most significantly, lignin. We developed catalytic processes that deoxygenate and transform monomers and isolated polymers into useful products and tested their use with intact biomass. We gained control of lignin synthesis within plants and initiated tailoring biomass to its end-use through the tools of plant molecular biology and genetic engineering. C3Bio breakthroughs have increased the energy density of biomass-derived substrates via catalytic and pyrolytic conversions into products such as benzoquinones, furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural, levoglucosan and levulinic acid, methoxypropylphenols and propylbenzene. Such advances in biomass conversion would not have been possible without simultaneous advances in analytical instrumentation and methodologies, and imaging technologies and applications. The legacy science developed by C3Bio enables design and control strategies for achieving a targeted product portfolio of fuel and chemical feedstocks from a diverse range of native and tailored biomass. Our research provides the knowledge base required for a bio-economy with product streams as diverse in functionality as those of the petrochemical industry. Coupling targeted computational modeling with experimentation, we achieved: (1) fundamental understanding of biopolymers and cell wall architecture assembly, (2) discovery of new chemistries that allow the development of highly selective pathways to fuels and desirable chemicals, and (3) an integrated systems-level understanding to control catalytic and pyrolytic pathways.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Bioconversion of Thermochemical Intermediates

Thermochemical (TC) biofuels production via both pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction produces aqueous waste streams, typically with organic compounds at concentrations of -50-100 g/L. These streams represent a wastewater treatment cost and carbon loss for the TC biorefinery, but the concentration range for these compounds is ideal for bioconversion. To that end, the Bioconversion of Thermochemical Intermediates (BTI) project is developing advanced analytics and engineered microbes to convert these waste streams to co-products, with the overall aim of improving the economics and carbon conversion efficiency of TC biorefining. To date, we have primarily focused on development of advanced analytical chemistry approaches to fully characterize TC aqueous streams and engineering of Pseudomonas putida for conversion of non-conventional substrates, including methylated phenolics, cyclic ketones, furans, and C1-C3 light oxygenates, into atom-efficient products. Two primary challenges are the rapid deployment of aqueous-compatible analytics to changing upstream conditions and dealing with the toxicity of the feed streams to engineered microbes. The project efforts have resulted in engineered strains of P. putida able to consume 90% of the organic compounds in aqueous waste streams from catalytic fast pyrolysis, more than 300-fold toxicity tolerance improvements in P. putida, and carbon closures exceeding 90% for TC wastewater streams across multiple processing technologies.

BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES,BIOMASS FUELS↗

Reformulated Red mud: a robust catalyst for in situ catalytic pyrolysis of biomass

Biomass feedstocks contain inorganic compounds generally classified as ash. The ash consists of compounds of potassium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorous and other elements. These elements have been reported to influence both the pyrolysis reactions as well as destabilizing the pyrolysis oils during storage. The inorganic elements have also been reported to deposit on catalyst surfaces during in situ catalytic pyrolysis leading to the eventual deactivation of acidic catalysts such as zeolites. The deposition of inorganic elements and their effect on formulated red mud (FRM) catalyst during in situ catalytic pyrolysis of pinyon juniper wood was investigated. The inorganic elements were measured for the fresh, coked, and regenerated catalysts. The BET specific surface area of the FRM catalyst decreased from 76 m2/g for the fresh catalyst to 53 m2/g for the stable regenerated catalyst. After three regenerations, the BET specific surface area stabilized at 53 m2/g and remained constant after all other regenerations. Potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous were deposited on the catalyst. Potassium deposition was linear with the number of regenerations while magnesium and calcium depositions were initially rapid but leveled off after three regenerations of the catalyst. Phosphorous deposition was almost linear, but the data were more scattered compared to potassium. The potassium deposition was attributed to physical phenomenon whereas calcium and magnesium depositions were more akin to chemical reactions related to the loss of BET surface area of the catalyst. The deposition of these elements on the surface of the catalyst did not deactivate it. After each catalyst regeneration, the oil yield was not significantly affected and the oil oxygen content and viscosity decreased slightly. This clearly showed that formulated red mud is a robust catalyst suitable for in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass.

Agblevor, Foster↗

Expanding the horizon of bio-naphtha beyond gasoline blend: property characterization and conversion opportunity assessment through technoeconomic and life-cycle analyses

Bio-naphtha, a common by-product of biorefineries, is expected to experience substantial growth in supply due to increasing demands for renewable diesel and synthetic aviation fuel (SAF). However, demand for bio-naphtha itself as a gasoline blendstock is limited because of the electrification of light-duty vehicles. This work investigated valorization opportunities for bio-naphtha from catalytic fast pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, and hydrotreated esters and fatty acids pathways. These opportunities include producing polymer-grade olefin via steam cracking, SAF via steam cracking followed by olefin oligomerization, and renewable aromatics benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) and hydrogen via catalytic reforming. Process models were developed in Aspen Plus V14 and Aspen HYSYS V14 to calculate the mass and energy balances for each conversion step. Technoeconomic assessment and life-cycle analysis were conducted to evaluate the minimum fuel/product selling price, conversion cost, and life-cycle CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emission reduction. Technoeconomic assessment results suggest a minimum fuel/product selling price as low as $1.9/kg of olefins, $6.30/gal of gasoline-equivalent SAF, and $1.2/kg of BTX without any incentives. For all pathways, these prices are dominated by bio-naphtha feedstock costs, which account for at least 76% of the total cost. Compared with petroleum baselines, bio-naphtha-derived SAF, olefins, and BTX can achieve significant CO2e emission reductions from the use of renewable carbon resources. The results of life-cycle analysis and subsequent technoeconomic assessment, incorporating carbon credits, indicate the economic viability of using bio-naphtha for polymer-grade olefin and BTX production, with product costs comparable to market prices.

Xu, Shuang↗

Fast estimation of reaction rates in spherical and non-spherical porous catalysts

Here we present a methodology for modeling multi-step reaction rates in porous catalyst particles for use in CFD-DEM and two fluid models. Single-step effectiveness factors based on a Thiele modulus, while useful, cannot accurately capture the cascading reaction systems common in high temperature vapor-phase chemical reactors like fluidized catalytic cracking units and catalytic biomass fast pyrolysis systems. Instead, multi-step effectiveness vectors derived from steady-state solutions to the governing reaction-diffusion equations are needed. Solutions for various catalyst shapes are presented, including spheres, cylinders, and prisms. Computational challenges inherent in repeated evaluation of reaction rates with diffusion limitations are discussed, and an efficient implementation based on pre-computed lookup tables is proposed and demonstrated on a simulation of a fluidized bed reactor. Open-source code is provided for the compilation of reaction rate tables for use in ODE, DEM, and two-fluid models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Understanding the influence of solvents on the Pt-catalyzed hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol

Bio-oil derived from fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass needs to be deoxygenated to become a substitute for petroleum fuels. Here, we study the hydrodeoxygenation mechanism of guaiacol, a bio-oil model compound derived from the lignin fraction of biomass, on Pt(1 1 1) terrace sites in the presence of water, diethyl ether, 1-butanol, and n-hexane as solvent. Using first-principles periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations and mean-field microkinetic reactor modeling, a detailed reaction mechanism is investigated targeting various products such as catechol, phenol, anisole, benzene, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexanol. Solvent phase DFT outcomes are mostly similar to that of the vapor phase; however, microkinetic modeling results suggest that rate controlling species and transition states differ somewhat in the various reaction environments. Catechol was found to be the major aromatic product across all reaction environments. Over Pt(1 1 1), unsaturated monooxygenate production from catechol is unlikely.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Elucidation of Structure and Physical Properties of Pyrolytic Sugar Oligomers Derived from Cellulose Depolymerization/Dehydration Reactions: A Density Functional Theory Study

Fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic materials is a promising research area to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. Dehydration is known to be among the most important reaction families during cellulose pyrolysis; water is the most important product. Together with water, dehydration reactions also form a range of poorly known oligomer species of varying molecular sizes, often collected as part of bio-oil water-soluble (WS) fraction. In this work, we used electronic structure calculations to evaluate the relative thermodynamic stabilities of several oligomer species resulting from up to three consecutive dehydration events from cellulose depolymerization intermediates. A library of the thermodynamically favored candidate molecular structures was compiled. Results revealed that most of the water molecules are eliminated from the non-reducing end, forming thermodynamically more stable conjugated compounds. This is consistent with results reported by other researchers in literature where dehydration reactions occur preferably at the non-reducing ends of oligomers. The physical-chemical properties of the proposed structures were estimated using quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPRs) and quantitative property-property relationships (QPPRs). The anhydro-sugars derived from cellulose are often blamed for coke formation during bio-oil hydrotreatment. Understanding their chemical structure could help to develop rational strategies to mitigate coke formation. Furthermore, the thermo-physical properties reported (boiling point, melting point, Gibb’s free energy of formation, enthalpy of formation, and solubility parameters among others) are also fundamental to conducting first principle engineering calculations to design and analyze new pyrolysis reactors and bio-oil up-grading units.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Theoretical Insights on the Fragmentation of Cellulosic Oligomers to Form Hydroxyacetone and Hydroxyacetaldehyde

The presence of heavy unknown oligomeric sugar products in bio-oil is evidenced in experimental results reported in the literature. In this paper, we study the fragmentation reactions yielding acetol and glycolaldehyde from oligomeric sugars following previous work on dehydration reactions to propose structures of these oligomers. Acetol and glycolaldehyde are primary products of cellulose fast pyrolysis but the fragmentation reaction mechanism of these compounds from oligomers merits further study. The density functional theory (DFT) approach was employed to study this reaction. Results revealed that acetol and glycolaldehyde fragments are favorably removed from the non-reducing end based on their thermodynamic stabilities. Theoretical FTIR and NMR spectra were calculated to aid in understanding the structures of the oligomeric sugars. Also, the thermodynamics and physical properties of these compounds were estimated using the Group Contribution Method (GCM). In conclusion, these properties are essential in the design of processing technologies and the upgrading of products.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

Flow Reactor Study of the Soot Precursors of Novel Cycloalkanes as Synthetic Jet Fuel Compounds: Octahydroindene, p -Menthane, and 1,4-Dimethylcyclooctane

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) or Synthetic aviation turbine fuels (SATFs) derived from nonpetroleum sources are essential for energy security and a strong rural and agricultural economy. Airplanes operating on SAF can have lower particle emissions compared to those of conventional jet fuel, reducing air quality impacts near airports. Processing biobased isoprene or wood and agricultural waste can produce cycloalkane-rich fuels with properties meeting ASTM International’s SATF requirements. The unique structures of these cycloalkanes yield lower soot emissions because of their lack of aromatic rings. We measured the soot formation tendency as yield sooting index (YSI) and used laminar flow reactor experiments to evaluate soot precursors formed for isoprene-derived compounds p-menthane and 1,4-dimethylcyclooctane (DMCO), and octahydroindene (OHI)─ produced from woody biomass via catalytic fast pyrolysis. The combustion chemistry of the OHI and DMCO has not been previously studied. Experiments were conducted at 10 bar from 800 to 1200 K, equivalence ratios of 1.0 and 3.0, and residence times of 1.0 and 0.6 s, respectively. Experimentally detected species were used to elucidate the mechanisms of soot precursor formation. OHI exhibited the highest YSI (94.5) and formed a high concentration of benzene primarily by direct dehydrogenation of the six-membered ring. p-Menthane (YSI 92.0) and DMCO (YSI 85.0) oxidation products included fewer aromatic components but higher benzene precursors, including 1,3-butadiene, propyne, and allene. This suggests that the ring-opening pathway is dominant over the dehydrogenation pathway in the benzene formation for these compounds. This experimental speciation provides insight into the influence of the cycloalkane structure on the sooting tendencies of potential SAF blend components, thereby aiding in fuel design processes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Biofuel Options for Marine Applications: Technoeconomic and Life-Cycle Analyses

This study performed technoeconomic and life-cycle analyses to assess the economic feasibility and emission benefits and tradeoffs of various biofuel production pathways as an alternative to conventional marine fuels. We analyzed production pathways for (1) Fischer-Tropsch diesel from biomass and cofeeding biomass with natural gas or coal, (2) renewable diesel via hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids from yellow grease and cofeeding yellow grease with heavy oil, and (3) bio-oil via fast pyrolysis of low-ash woody feedstock. We also developed a new version of the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) marine fuel module for the estimation of life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria air pollutant (CAP) emissions of conventional and biobased marine fuels. The alternative fuels considered have a minimum fuel selling price between 2.36 and 4.58 $/heavy fuel oil gallon equivalent (HFOGE), and all exhibit improved life-cycle GHG emissions compared to heavy fuel oil (HFO), with reductions ranging from 40 to 93%. The alternative fuels also exhibit reductions in sulfur oxides and particulate matter emissions. Additionally, when compared with marine gas oil and liquified natural gas, they perform favorably across most emission categories except for cases where carbon and sulfur emissions are increased by the cofed fossil feedstocks. The pyrolysis bio-oil offers the most promising marginal CO2 abatement cost at less than $100/tonne CO2e for HFO prices >$1.09/HFOGE followed by Fischer-Tropsch diesel from biomass and natural gas pathways, which fall below $100/tonne CO2e for HFO prices >$2.25/HFOGE. Pathways that cofeed fossil feedstocks with biomass do not perform as well for marginal CO2 abatement cost, particularly at low HFO prices. This study indicates that biofuels could be a cost-effective means of reducing GHG, sulfur oxide, and particulate matter emissions from the maritime shipping industry and that cofeeding biomass with natural gas could be a practical approach to smooth a transition to biofuels by reducing alternative fuel costs while still lowering GHG emissions, although marginal CO2 abatement costs are less favorable for the fossil cofeed pathways.

Greenhouse gas, life cycle assessment, techno-econ↗

Establishing the Role of Metal, Interface, and Vacancy Sites in Pt/TiO 2 -Catalyzed Acetic Acid Hydrodeoxygenation

Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) following catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) offers an approach to convert the vapor-phase product of biomass pyrolysis to a stable bio-oil product by reducing the oxygen content. Fundamental insights into the HDO of carboxylic acids, which are a corrosive and acidic CFP product, on promising catalyst materials, such as Pt/TiO 2 , are needed to inform the design of multifunctional HDO catalysts with improved carbon efficiency. In this contribution, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to assess the role of Pt-metal and Pt-TiO 2 -interface sites on acetic acid HDO (AA-HDO), and to determine the effect of interfacial oxygen vacancies at the Pt-TiO 2 interface, by calculating the reaction energetics for key AA-HDO surface intermediates and elementary steps on each site type. Pt-metal sites, modeled via Pt(111), preferred to form undesired decarboxylation products (CH 4 and CO 2 ), whereas Pt-TiO 2 -interface sites, modeled via an anatase-supported Pt nanowire, favored the formation of desired deoxygenation products (acetaldehyde and ethane). Interfacial-vacancy sites lowered the activation energy barrier for the first C-O bond-scission step in AA-HDO, predicted to be the rate-limiting step for AA-HDO at the Pt-TiO 2 interface in the absence of a vacancy. These atomistic insights reveal the importance of metal-metal oxide interface sites in AA-HDO selectivity and can be used to inform the rational design of improved HDO catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Surface Chemistry and Particle Morphology Changes in Pine Biomass under Indirect Thermal Gradients: Implications for Feed Screw Design

The conversion of biomass feedstocks into fuels and chemicals using fast pyrolysis is a promising approach to renewable energy. Feed screws that convey biomass to pyrolysis reactors, however, often encounter plugging. Indirect heating of the feed screw occurs due to contact with the pyrolysis chamber, resulting in a heating gradient ranging from ambient temperature (22 °C) to reactor temperature (500 °C). Given that major cell wall macromolecules, such as lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, begin to produce bio-oils and volatile resin acid compounds within this temperature gradient, we hypothesized that indirect heating during feed screw conveyance is sufficient to cause premature degradation of biomass. We characterized this degradation by observing increases in surface roughness, changes in overall particle morphology, and the production and deposition of bio-oils on biomass particle surfaces. Correlative analysis between optical in situ hot-stage microscopy, confocal Raman spectroscopy, and SEM analysis revealed that heating at temperatures as low as 375 °C caused significant increases in surface roughness, with large fissures forming between and within cell walls. Additionally, droplets of bio-oil were observed on particles, especially in the bark and cambium samples. This work suggests that these phenomena contribute to particle agglomeration, leading to feed screw plugging, and that engineering a solution to cool the feed screw could prevent particle agglomeration and reduce plugging incidents, thereby increasing biomass processing efficiency.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Early-Stage Evaluation of Catalyst Manufacturing Cost and Environmental Impact Using CatCost

The costs and environmental impacts of catalyst manufacture are often neglected during early-stage research because of a lack of accessible, standardized tools to assess them. Here we report the key features of CatCost, a free and public estimation tool for the evaluation of catalyst cost. We demonstrate its functionality with a case study of diverse catalysts (ZSM-5, Pt/TiO2 and Mo2C) for the catalytic fast pyrolysis of biomass. We quantified the economic and environmental improvements made by replacing circulating-bed ZSM-5 with more stable, fixed-bed Pt/TiO2 and Mo2C catalysts, while revealing the effects of synthesis methods and production scale on catalyst costs. The manufacture of ZSM-5 had a large processing cost contribution that was strongly scale dependent, whereas the costs of the other catalysts were dominated by raw materials at all scales. Furthermore, while ZSM-5 costs the least per kilogram, the more stable catalysts cost half as much per gallon of fuel.

BIOMASS FUELS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

What Is the Best Use of Biomass? A Harmonized LCA-TEA Framework Quantifying Economic and Environmental Metrics for Bioenergy Pathways

Bioresource utilization is expected to play a pivotal role in complementing existing energy pathways and enhancing energy resilience. This study develops a harmonized life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) framework to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential, minimum fuel selling price (MFSP), and marginal abatement cost (MAC) of bioenergy pathways. We analyze 19 pathways, including liquid biofuels (via catalytic fast pyrolysis, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, and gasification), bioelectricity, and biomass-to-hydrogen, with and without carbon capture and storage (CCS). The GHG impacts are assessed using the GREET 2022 model, while U.S. Billion-Ton 2016 biomass availability projections are used to estimate scale-up potential. Additionally, we evaluate the influence of a low-carbon electricity grid on pathway performance. Our results show that CCS implementation reduces carbon intensities (CI) to net-negative values for several pathways, with MAC ranging from $\$$32 to $\$$600 per metric ton (MT) CO2e avoided. Bioelectricity pathways with CCS achieve the lowest MAC ($\$$32–$\$$68/tCO2e), while liquid biofuels and hydrogen pathways remain critical for hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and heavy industry. Pathways with net-positive electricity demand benefit from a low-carbon grid, whereas those co-producing electricity experience increased MAC under lower electricity grid CI scenarios. This open-source framework provides a robust tool for harmonized evaluation of bioenergy pathways, enabling policymakers and stakeholders to identify cost-effective strategies for biomass utilization and carbon abatement at scale. The findings underscore the importance of CCS, co-product credits, and feedstock availability in optimizing bioenergy deployment for a low-carbon economy.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗