STRATEGIES FOR SELECTION OF GENETIC VARIANTS OF SWITCHGRASS FEEDSTOCKS FOR FAVORABLE THERMAL CONVERISON PATHWAY CHARACTERISTICS - SCREENING METHODOLOGIES

摘要

A number of studies have shown that biomass pyrolysis-based processes may be the most economical for the production of replacements for traditional hydrocarbon fuels . Due to the chemically complex nature of primary pyrolysis products, especially those from fast pyrolysis, the resulting liquid ‘bio-oil’ expresses characteristics (high viscosity, a tendency to self-polymerize, polar/nonpolar phase separation) that make it difficult to store, transport, or easily refine/valorize with current petroleum hydrocarbon infrastructure and technology. Improving these deficient qualities, while retaining carbon and liquid yield of the pyrolysis vapors, is an important hurdle to clear in the effort to improve commercial competitiveness of pyrolysis as a fuels- production technology.