Experimental and Theoretical Investigations into the Pyrolysis Mechanisms of Lignin Model Compounds

摘要

There is significant interest in the utilization of biomass as a carbon neutral renewable source of transportation fuels and chemicals. Lignin is an appealing option since it is the second most abundant natural biopolymer found in vascular plants and it is a byproduct of the pulping process in paper mills. However, lignin is underutilized because of the inability to control the thermochemical depolymerization reactions and the wide variety of products that are produced that require upgrading before use. To improve product yields and selectivity, an enhanced understanding of the reaction pathways is needed. Fundamental studies on the pyrolysis of model compounds that represent structural elements in lignin have provided mportant insights into the reaction pathways of lignin and oxygen functional groups.