Fast pyrolysis utilizes biomass to produce a product that is used both as an energy source and a feedstock for chemical production. Considerable efforts have been made to convert wood biomass to liquid fuels and chemicals since the oil crisis in mid-1970s. This review focuses on the recent developments in the wood pyrolysis and reports the characteristics of the resulting bio-oils, which are the main products of fast wood pyrolysis. Virtually any form of biomass can be considered for fast pyrolysis. Most work has been performed on wood, because of its consistency and comparability between tests. However, nearly 100 types of biomass have been tested, ranging from agricultural wastes such as straw, olive pits, and nut shells to energy crops such as miscanthus and sorghum. Forestry wastes such as bark and thinnings and other solid wastes, including sewage sludge and leather wastes, have also been studied. In this review, the main (although not exclusive) emphasis has been given to wood. The literature on woo...

Pyrolysis of Wood/Biomass for Bio-oil: A Critical Review

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/1018032.pdf

Polymer nanotechnology: Nanocomposites

Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous association of molecules under equilibrium conditions into stable, structurally well-defined aggregates joined by noncovalent bonds. Molecular self-assembly is ubiquitous in biological systems and underlies the formation of a wide variety of complex biological structures. Understanding self-assembly and the associated noncovalent interactions that connect complementary interacting molecular surfaces in biological aggregates is a central concern in structural biochemistry. Self-assembly is also emerging as a new strategy in chemical synthesis, with the potential of generating nonbiological structures with dimensions of 1 to 10(2) nanometers (with molecular weights of 10(4) to 10(10) daltons). Structures in the upper part of this range of sizes are presently inaccessible through chemical synthesis, and the ability to prepare them would open a route to structures comparable in size (and perhaps complementary in function) to those that can be prepared by microlithography and other techniques of microfabrication.

Molecular self-assembly and nanochemistry: A chemical strategy for the synthesis of nanostructures

A review on polymer–layered silicate nanocomposites

The science of the total environment

To determine optimum conditions for producing activated carbon and carbon black from biomass waste (i.e., chicken litter), studies have been performed on the thermal decomposition changes of chicken litter under a nitrogen atmosphere by evolved gas analysis (EGA) including thermogravimetric mass spectrometry (TG-MS), TG-fourier transform infrared (TG-FTIR), and pyrolysis-GC/MS. Samples were prepared by milling and sieving the as-collected chicken litter to obtain three kinds of samples differing in particle size distribution (sample A, above 140 mesh; sample B, 140−325 mesh; sample C, below 325 mesh). Samples A and C were found to show the two extremes in volatile matter to ash content ratios of 54/25% and 35/54%. Thus, to obtain carbon byproducts at a higher yield, decomposition of sample A in nitrogen was studied in particular, and it was found that the process can be roughly divided in four stages. The activation energy, E, was also obtained by kinetic analysis for each of the stages:  (I) release of a...

Multi-utilization of Chicken Litter as a Biomass Source. Part II. Pyrolysis

The behavior of chlorine in Illinois coals during pyrolysis was evaluated by combined thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-ion chromatography (TG-FTIR-IC) techniques. It was found that more than 90% of chlorine in Illinois coals (IBC-103, 105, 106, and 109) was liberated as HCl gas during pyrolysis from 300 to 600° C, with the rate reaching a maximum at 440 ° C. Similarity of the HCl and NH 3 release profiles during pyrolysis of IBC-109 supports the hypothesis that the chlorine in coal may be associated with nitrogen and the chlorine is probably bonded to the basic nitrogen sites on the inner walls of coal micropores

Behavior of chlorine during coal pyrolysis

Study on the mercury captured by mechanochemical and bromide surface modification of coal fly ash

The volatilization characteristics of arsenic in different coals at 600–1500 °C were studied on an isothermal reaction system. Through thermogravimetric analysis similar to that used for coal analysis, the mass loss and mass loss rate of arsenic for coal samples were determined. Sequential chemical extraction method was used to measure the mode of occurrence of arsenic in the coals. TG-MS techniques were also carried out to study the relationship between sulfur and arsenic. Results show that the volatilization proportion of arsenic increases with temperature and 53– 99% of the total arsenic in coal is vaporized in the combustion zone at PC conditions (1500 °C). Coals with higher arsenic concentrations (As > 4 μg/g) tend to have larger arsenic volatility proportions than coals with lower arsenic concentrations (As < 4 μg/g) at a given temperature. In addition, three volatility zones with two mass loss rate peaks of arsenic are observed in all coals during coal combustion. Before 600 °C, the evaporation of ...

Volatilization of Arsenic During Coal Combustion Based on Isothermal Thermogravimetric Analysis at 600–1500 °C

Coal-fired utility boilers are now identified as the largest source of mercury in the United States. There is speculation that the installation of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for reduction of NOx can also prompt the oxidation and removal of mercury. In this paper, tests at six full-scale power plants with similar type of the SCR systems are conducted to investigate the effect of the SCR on the transformation of mercury speciation. The results show that the SCR system can achieve more than 70%-80% oxidation of elemental mercury and enhance the mercury removal ability in these units. The oxidation of elemental mercury in the SCR system strongly depends on the coal properties and the operation conditions of the SCR systems. The content of chloride in the coal is the key factor for the oxidization process and the maximum oxidation of elemental mercury is found when chloride content changes from 400 to 600 ppm. The sulfur content is no significant impact on oxidation of elemental mercury.

http://www.jesc.ac.cn/jesc_en/ch/reader/create_pdf.aspx?file_no=2007190209

Wei-Ping Pan

Papers

Multi-utilization of Chicken Litter as a Biomass Source. Part II. Pyrolysis

Behavior of chlorine during coal pyrolysis

Study on the mercury captured by mechanochemical and bromide surface modification of coal fly ash

Volatilization of Arsenic During Coal Combustion Based on Isothermal Thermogravimetric Analysis at 600–1500 °C

Transformation of mercury speciation through the SCR system in power plants.