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Oils produced from the Canadian (Wastewater Technology Centre, Environment Canada) sewage sludge liquefaction process, contain mainly straight chain hydrocarbons and carboxylic acids. Oil yields are higher from raw sludges, whereas... more
Oils produced from the Canadian (Wastewater Technology Centre, Environment Canada) sewage sludge liquefaction process, contain mainly straight chain hydrocarbons and carboxylic acids. Oil yields are higher from raw sludges, whereas digested sludges produce lower yields of lower viscosity oils which contain very little carboxylic acid. Hydrocarbons and carboxylic acids distil to the oil with little chemical change, whereas triglycerides are transformed to hydrocarbons presumably by a β hydrogen transfer mechanism. Although oil yields show some correlation with sewage sludge protein content, the oils are predominantly of lipid origin. Surfactant products complicate the complete removal of water from the product. A simple catalytic treatment at reactor temperature results in phase separation of water (less than 1% water in oil) as well as removal of a large fraction of the nitrogen. The low viscosity oil so produced is completely miscible with diesel fuel in all proportions.
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Rapid characterization of biomass feedstocks has a pivotal role in the development of biomass energy because of the large number of samples that must be analyzed due to the diversity of biomass feedstocks and the significant differences... more
Rapid characterization of biomass feedstocks has a pivotal role in the development of biomass energy because of the large number of samples that must be analyzed due to the diversity of biomass feedstocks and the significant differences in the chemical and physical properties of these feedstocks. Several biomass feedstocks (herbaceous, woody, and agricultural residues) were screened for the effects of storage, season of harvest, geographic location, clonal, and species variation on the pyrolysis products of the feed stocks. For herbaceous species such as sericea lespedeza, the season of harvest had a significant effect on the pyrolysis products. Effects of clonal variation on the composition of hybrid poplar feedstocks was easily discerned with the molecular beam mass spectrometric analysis. The effect of geographic location on the poplar clones pyrolysis products was minimal. However in the case of switchgrass, varietal influence on the pyrolysis products was minimal, but where the plant was grown had a strong influence on the pyrolysis products of the feedstock. Significant differences because of species variation could also be shown from the pyrolysis products of various biomass feedstocks. The influence of storage time on biomass samples stored outside in the open could also be discerned from the pyrolysismore » products of the feedstocks. The differences noted in the pyrolysis products of the feedstocks were noted for samples which were significantly degraded during storage either through the action of microflora or weathering.« less
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The effects of storage on different biomass feedstocks, including short rotation woody crops, herbaceous crops, and agricultural residues have been studied. Results of the analysis of fresh and stored material from four short rotation... more
The effects of storage on different biomass feedstocks, including short rotation woody crops, herbaceous crops, and agricultural residues have been studied. Results of the analysis of fresh and stored material from four short rotation woody species using traditional wet chemical analysis showed differences in the chemical composition of the feedstocks harvested at different times. Changes that occurred in the material after unprotected storage outside for 26 weeks were measured. Over the period of the storage study, small changes were observed in the structural cell wall components including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Larger changes were observed in the materials that could be extracted with 95% ethanol. Also presented are results from a rapid analytical technique using pyrolysis-mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistical analysis to assess the influence of storage on the composition and thermochemical conversion of the different biomass feedstocks. Because of the rapid nature of this technique, a large number of samples could be screened to determine the extent of degradation throughout the piles. Application of this technique to the samples in this study indicated that, for the most part, significant changes did not occur in the composition of biomass taken from the centers of the piles. However, significant changesmore » were detected in biomass taken from the outer layers and isolated regions in the piles where most advanced degradation had occurred.« less
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Research Interests: Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, NMR Spectroscopy, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, and 15 moreMedicine, Biological Sciences, Carbon Isotopes, Ethanol Production, Hydrolysate, Fermentation, Functional Group, Aldehyde, Antifungal Agents, Oxides, Calcium Compounds, Hydrolysis, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Cell Growth, and corn stover
The precise quantitative analysis of biomass sugars is a very important step in the conversion of biomass feedstocks to fuels and chemicals. However, the most accurate method of biomass sugar analysis is based on the gas chromatography... more
The precise quantitative analysis of biomass sugars is a very important step in the conversion of biomass feedstocks to fuels and chemicals. However, the most accurate method of biomass sugar analysis is based on the gas chromatography analysis of derivatized sugars either as alditol acetates or trimethylsilanes. The derivatization method is time consuming but the alternative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method cannot resolve most sugars found in biomass hydrolysates. We have demonstrated for the first time that by careful manipulation of the HPLC mobile phase, biomass monomeric sugars (arabinose, xylose, fructose, glucose, mannose, and galactose) can be analyzed quantitatively and there is excellent baseline resolution of all the sugars. This method was demonstrated for standard sugars, pretreated corn stover liquid and solid fractions. Our method can also be used to analyze dimeric sugars (cellobiose and sucrose).
Research Interests: Chemistry, Chromatography, Biomass, Medicine, Biological Sciences, and 15 moreBiofuels, HPLC, Calibration, Method, Hydrolysate, Gas Chromatography, Fructose, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Derivatization, CARBOHYDRATES, Analytical Methods, Dimerization, Cellobiose, corn stover, and HPLC Chromatography
Research Interests: Engineering, Chemistry, Chromatography, Biomass, Medicine, and 15 moreQuantitative analysis, Biological Sciences, Hydrolysate, Plants, Sucrose, Gas Chromatography, Fructose, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, Derivatization, CARBOHYDRATES, Quantitative Analysis, Hydrolysis, Cellobiose, and corn stover
Research Interests: Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Technology, Compositional Analysis, and 11 moreCalibration, Population Size, Lignin, Partial Least Squares Regression, Near infrared spectroscopy (reflectance) application, Xylose, Chemical Composition, Reflectivity, Partial Least Square, Statistical techniques, and prediction equation
All around the globe with extensive agricultural production, millions of tons of agricultural waste are produced, after each harvesting most of the agricultural residues are burned to prepare the land for the next crop. But the smog... more
All around the globe with extensive agricultural production, millions of tons of agricultural waste are produced, after each harvesting most of the agricultural residues are burned to prepare the land for the next crop. But the smog produced deteriorate the environment. This study is a proposed solution to this problem, which consist in collecting the agricultural residues and use pyrolysis to produce added value products (phenol and anhydrosugars) that will make the residues more valuable than burning them. These compounds are synthesize with petroleum derivate, and giving the limited years of petroleum oil, the recent research are focused in finding renewable sources of petroleum and its derivate. The purpose of the research is discover a catalytic path that produces a bio-oil mixture containing low molecular weight phenols and anhydrosugars from agricultural waste using fractional catalytic pyrolysis. Then these compounds could be used to produce biodegradable plastics and resins
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Research Interests: Chemistry and Hydrolysis
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ABSTRACT The major obstacle in thermochemical biomass conversion to hydrocarbon fuels using pyrolysis has been the high oxygen content and the poor stability of the product oils, which cause them to solidify during secondary processing.... more
ABSTRACT The major obstacle in thermochemical biomass conversion to hydrocarbon fuels using pyrolysis has been the high oxygen content and the poor stability of the product oils, which cause them to solidify during secondary processing. We have developed a fractional catalytic pyrolysis process to convert biomass feedstocks into a product termed “biocrude oils” (stable biomass pyrolysis oils) which are distinct from unstable conventional pyrolysis oils. The biocrude oils are stable, low viscosity liquids that are storable at ambient conditions without any significant increases in viscosity; distillable at both atmospheric pressure and under vacuum without char or solid formation. About 15 wt% biocrude oils containing 20–25% oxygen were blended with 85 wt% standard gas oil and co-cracked in an Advanced Catalyst Evaluation (ACE™) unit using fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts to produce hydrocarbon fuels that contain negligible amount of oxygen. For the same conversion of 70% for both the standard gas oil and the biocrude oil/gas oil blends, the product gasoline yield was 44 wt%, light cycle oil (LCO) 17 wt%, heavy cycle oil (HCO) 13 wt%, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) 16 wt%. However, the coke yield for the standard gas oil was 7.06 wt% compared to 6.64–6.81 wt% for the blends. There appeared to be hydrogen transfer from the cracking of the standard gas oil to the biocrude oil which subsequently eliminated the oxygen in the fuel without external hydrogen addition. We have demonstrated for the first time that biomass pyrolysis oils can be successfully converted into hydrocarbons without hydrogenation pretreatment.
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... 7, 9, and 10. . 3. Evans, RJ; Agblevor, FA; Chum, HL; Wooten, JB; Chadwick, DB; and Baldwin, SD, "New Approaches to the Study of Cellulose Pyrolysis," ACS FuelDiv., Preprints (1991). 36 (2), 7 14-724.... more
... 7, 9, and 10. . 3. Evans, RJ; Agblevor, FA; Chum, HL; Wooten, JB; Chadwick, DB; and Baldwin, SD, "New Approaches to the Study of Cellulose Pyrolysis," ACS FuelDiv., Preprints (1991). 36 (2), 7 14-724. 4. meander, 0.. and ...
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... Lignocellulose is the ... A review of cotton gin trash disposal and utilization , in: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Production and Research Conference , ed ... can be converted into monomeric sugars through hydrolysis, and these... more
... Lignocellulose is the ... A review of cotton gin trash disposal and utilization , in: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Production and Research Conference , ed ... can be converted into monomeric sugars through hydrolysis, and these sugars can be used to produce ethanol and other ...
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Research and development of bioenergy as a renewable energy source has made significant progress during the past few decades and as bioenergy matures into a commercial energy source the need for biomass standards cannot be overemphasized.... more
Research and development of bioenergy as a renewable energy source has made significant progress during the past few decades and as bioenergy matures into a commercial energy source the need for biomass standards cannot be overemphasized. The bioenergy community recognized this need more than a decade ago and organized the “Biomass Energy Meeting” to define what feedstocks to use as standards for biomass analysis and conversion processes. Four biomass feedstocks were identified by this workshop: wheat straw, sugar cane bagasse, pinus radiata, and populus deltoides. These feedstocks have been developed into standard research materials and can be obtained from NIST at a nominal cost.
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These studies employed similar varieties of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) grown at three different locations and three hybrid poplar clones grown at one location. The feedstocks were pyrolyzed in a fluidized bed reactor at 500 °C. The... more
These studies employed similar varieties of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) grown at three different locations and three hybrid poplar clones grown at one location. The feedstocks were pyrolyzed in a fluidized bed reactor at 500 °C. The gas products of pyrolysis were analyzed on-line, and the liquid products were analyzed for elemental composition and higher heating values.
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The International Energy Agency -- Bioenergy Agreement — Biomass Conversion Annex VII -- Standardized Analytical Methods Activity has been ongoing for the past three years. Participating countries are Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, New... more
The International Energy Agency -- Bioenergy Agreement — Biomass Conversion Annex VII -- Standardized Analytical Methods Activity has been ongoing for the past three years. Participating countries are Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. The goal is to provide researchers and technology developers with information on reliable methods in use, or proposed, for characterizing feedstocks, process intermediates, and end products from biomass conversion to fuels, energy-intensive chemicals, and electric power. Accurate compositional analyses of biomass feedstocks and lignins are important for the commercialization of these technologies. This international activity provided and tested selected analytical methods for use in the characterization of a wide range of biomass feedstocks and lignins. Two round robins were conducted, one on the analysis of whole biomass feedstocks and the other on analysis of lignins.
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Thermochemically converting biomass feedstocks to fuels is one of the major thrusts of renewable energy research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Among several thermochemical routes is the fast pyrolysis process which produces... more
Thermochemically converting biomass feedstocks to fuels is one of the major thrusts of renewable energy research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Among several thermochemical routes is the fast pyrolysis process which produces liquid fuels from woody and herbaceous biomass feedstocks. Because of the large variability in the composition of biomass feedstocks due to plant variety and environmental factors, it is important to assess how these variabilities affect the properties of thermochemical liquid fuels (bio-oils) produced from these resources. Similar varieties of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) that were grown at three different locations and three hybrid poplar clones that were grown at one location were used in these studies. The feedstocks were pyrolyzed in a fluidized bed reactor at 500{degrees}C. The gas products were analyzed on-line and the liquid products were analyzed for elemental composition and higher heating values. Apart from small difference in the yield of char/ash, the yields of pyrolysis oils and gases were similar for switchgrass feedstocks grown at all three locations. The char/ash yields ranged from 21.1 to 22.9%; total liquids (organic liquids + water) yields ranged from 59%-60.5%; and the gas yields ranged from 11%-12% (wt). The higher heating values (HHVs) of the oils weremore » similar (24.3-24.6 MJ/kg). For the hybrid poplar feedstocks, total liquids (65%-69%), char/ash (10%-11%), and gas yields (15.6%-17%) were similar for all three poplar clones; however, the elemental composition and the HHVs of the pyrolysis oils had statistically significant differences. The NC5260 pyrolysis oils had lower HHV (22.0{+-}0.5 MG/kg) compared to the DN clones (23.2{+-}0.3 MJ/kg). The yields of total liquids and organics for the three clones were higher than those for the switchgrass feedstocks. The gas yields for the hybrid poplar clones were higher than for the switchgrass, but had compositions similar to those of the switchgrass feedstocks.« less
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Research Interests: Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Medicine, Biofuels, and 15 moreAnimals, Alkali Metals, Litter, Food Industry, Fertilizers, Manure, Bioreactors, Chemical Reaction, Gases, Fluidized Bed Reactor, Large Scale, Food Chain, Broiler Chicken, Domestic animal, and Land Application
Research Interests: Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Kinetics, Agricultural Biotechnology, and 15 moreMedicine, Cellulase, Ethanol Fuel, Ethanol Production, Ethanol, Lignin, Fermentation, Pulp and Paper Industry, Industrial and production engineering, Industrial Waste, Reaction Rate, Hydrolysis, Paper, Cell Growth, and Cellobiose
Red mud (RM) is composed of a waste alkaline solution (pH = 13.3) obtained from the production of alumina. It contains high concentrations of soluble hematite (Fe2O3), goetite (FeOOH), gibisite [Al(OH)3], a boemite (AlOOH), anatase... more
Red mud (RM) is composed of a waste alkaline solution (pH = 13.3) obtained from the production of alumina. It contains high concentrations of soluble hematite (Fe2O3), goetite (FeOOH), gibisite [Al(OH)3], a boemite (AlOOH), anatase (Tetragonal - TiO2), rutile (Ditetragonal dipyramidal - TiO2), hydrogarnets [Ca3Al2(SiO4)3−x(OH)4x], and perovskite (CaTiO3). It was shown to be an excellent catalytic mixture for biodiesel production. To demonstrate the value of RM, an environmentally friendly process of transesterification in aqueous medium using waste cooking oil (WCO), MeOH and waste alkaline solution (WAS) obtained from aluminum production was proposed. Triglycerides of WCO reacted with MeOH at 60 oC to yield mixtures of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the presence of 0.019% (w/w) WAS/WCO using the WAS (0.204 mol L-1, predetermined by potentiometric titration) from aluminum production by the Bayer process. The use of the new catalyst (WAS) resulted in a high yield of the products...
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Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass generates organic, aqueous, gaseous and solid fractions. The organic fraction can be easily hydrotreated to produce hydrocarbons, but the aqueous phase that contains between 10 to 25% soluble organics can... more
Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass generates organic, aqueous, gaseous and solid fractions. The organic fraction can be easily hydrotreated to produce hydrocarbons, but the aqueous phase that contains between 10 to 25% soluble organics can pose challenges in wastewater treatment. The aqueous fraction from the catalytic pyrolysis of Pinyon Juniper wood was characterized for its organic content. The fraction contained about 15 wt% organic compounds determined from Karl Fischer analysis. The organic fractions were further characterized using gas chromatography and mass selective detection (GC/MS) and HPLC. The analysis showed that the dissolved organics were composed of acetic acid, ketones, aldehydes, and phenolic compounds. In this study we investigated the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of 15 wt.% acetic acid solution to represent aqueous phase Pinyon Juniper catalytic pyrolysis oil (APPJCPO). HDO experiments were carried out at different temperatures (150, 250, 350, and 450 °C) using Ni/SiO2...
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L'invention concerne des procedes de pyrolyse catalytique fractionnee qui permettent la conversion de la biomasse en une ardoise de produits souhaites sans necessiter de separation post-pyrolyse. Les procedes impliquent... more
L'invention concerne des procedes de pyrolyse catalytique fractionnee qui permettent la conversion de la biomasse en une ardoise de produits souhaites sans necessiter de separation post-pyrolyse. Les procedes impliquent l'utilisation d'un lit catalytique de fluide qui est maintenu a une temperature de pyrolyse appropriee. La biomasse est ajoutee au lit catalytique, de preference en etant entrainee dans un gaz non reactif tel que l'azote, amenant la biomasse a etre pyrolysee et formant les produits souhaites sous forme de vapeur et de gaz, permettant ainsi aux produits souhaites d'etre facilement separes.
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Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal... more
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Alan L. Grant, Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Interim Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Wondi Mersie, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg. PUBLICATION 442-311
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Abstract The objective of this investigation was to assess the feasibility of replacing anthraquinone (AQ) as a yield enhancing catalyst in kraft pulping with Me-THAD. It was anticipated that residual Me-THAD on the washed pulp fibers... more
Abstract The objective of this investigation was to assess the feasibility of replacing anthraquinone (AQ) as a yield enhancing catalyst in kraft pulping with Me-THAD. It was anticipated that residual Me-THAD on the washed pulp fibers would be air-oxidized to 2-methyl-anthraquinone (MAQ) during commercial fiber drying. While AQ is listed as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), MAQ is not. Also, MAQ was reported to actually retard the propagation of cancer cells in more than one refereed publication. In this study, it was observed that both of the methyl-substituted catalysts (MAQ and Me-THAD) were equal or more effective than AQ at increasing fiber yield when added to kraft pulping of both a softwood (southern pine) and a hardwood (eucalyptus). It was observed that pure Me-THAD powder oxidized to MAQ at room temperature (∼22 °C). The inference was drawn that residual Me-THAD on washed fibers from kraft/Me-THAD pulping also oxidized to MAQ. Extracts from such fibers from a eucalyptus pulp were carefully analyzed on a Thermo Scientific Trace 1310 with Orbitrap GC/MS. The unbleached fibers contained 20 μg/kg (ppb) of MAQ and ∼1 μg/kg of Me-THAD. When bleached using the D0EpD1 sequence to 90% Elrepho brightness, the fibers contained 3.5 μg/kg of MAQ and no Me-THAD. A preliminary assessment on the economics of Me-THAD synthesis at commercial scale is included.
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Recognizing that bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) may still take years to mature, this study focuses on another photosynthesis-based, negative-carbon technology that is readier to implement in China: biomass intermediate... more
Recognizing that bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) may still take years to mature, this study focuses on another photosynthesis-based, negative-carbon technology that is readier to implement in China: biomass intermediate pyrolysis poly-generation (BIPP). Here we find that a BIPP system can be profitable without subsidies, while its national deployment could contribute to a 61% reduction of carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product in 2030 compared to 2005 and result additionally in a reduction in air pollutant emissions. With 73% of national crop residues used between 2020 and 2030, the cumulative greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction could reach up to 8620 Mt CO2-eq by 2050, contributing 13–31% of the global GHG emission reduction goal for BECCS, and nearly 4555 Mt more than that projected for BECCS alone in China. Thus, China’s BIPP deployment could have an important influence on achieving both national and global GHG emissions reduction targets.