Pyrolysis of biomass fuels, and the products char and bio-oil

Char and bio-oil are products of pyrolysis, which means that a biomass fuel is heated without the presence of oxygen. Small changes of the pyrolysis process or the fuel may result in another yield and another quality, and hence increase the revenue or lower the costs. RISE offer expertise to optimise the pyrolysis process.

The yields and qualities of char and bio-oil are affected by the fuel and the pyrolysis process. For instance, the origin of the fuel, size and moisture, and process parameters such as temperature and retention time may alter the yields and quality. During pyrolysis, gases, tar, some of which can become bio-oil, and char, which is a solid and carbon-rich residue, are formed. RISE can measure parameters during the process and take samples for subsequent analyses. Thereafter, actions to direct the process towards the desired yields and qualities of the products are suggested.