Production of High Quality Syncrude from Lignocellulosic Biomass

• Published in: ChemCatChem Vol. 9; no. 9; pp. 1574 - 1578
• Main Authors: Mathieu, Yannick, Sauvanaud, Laurent, Humphreys, Len, Rowlands, William, Maschmeyer, Thomas, Corma, Avelino
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 10-05-2017
• Subjects: biofuel; biomass valorization; Catalysts; Contact pressure; Critical point; Deoxygenation; Distilled water; Hydrothermal treatment; hydrotreatment; Lignocellulose; Oxygen content; Refineries; Synthetic crude oil; Wood chips
• ISSN: 1867-3880; 1867-3899
• DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201601677

Wood chips were hydrothermally treated in near critical point water in the presence of a catalyst to yield a raw biocrude, containing a wide range of organic components. This product was subsequently distilled to remove its heaviest fraction, which tends to yield chary products if heated above 350 °C. The biocrude obtained has an oxygen content of 12 wt % and was subsequently hydrotreated to obtain a hydrocarbon stream. Varying the hydrotreatment operating conditions and catalyst yielded a deoxygenated syncrude which quality improved with operation severity. The hydroprocessed stream produced under very mild conditions can be further upgraded in conventional refinery operations while the stream produced after more severe hydrotreatment can be mixed with conventional diesel. This proof of concept was demonstrated with commercial hydrotreating catalysts, operating between 350 and 380 °C, 40 to 120 bar pressure and 0.5 to 1 h−1 contact time.
No O in fuel: Raw biocrude was obtained from wood chips that were hydrothermally treated in near critical point water in the presence of a catalyst. The product is a high quality hydrocarbon stream with very low oxygen content, suitable for further upgrading in refinery or direct blending with diesel.