Pyrolysis Oil

Pyrolysis oil, sometimes also known as bio-crude or bio-oil, is a synthetic fuel under investigation as substitute for petroleum. It is obtained by heating dried biomass without oxygen in a reactor at a temperature of about 500 °C (900 °F) with subsequent cooling. Pyrolysis oil is a kind of tar and normally contains levels of oxygen too high to be considered a pure hydrocarbon. This high oxygen content results in non-volatility, corrosiveness, immiscibility with fossil fuels, thermal instability, and a tendency to polymerize when exposed to air. As such, it is distinctly different from petroleum products. Removing oxygen from bio-oil or nitrogen from algal bio-oil is known as upgrading.

Pyrolysis oil is a residual fuel (motor spirit / gasoline, high speed diesel and kerosene are distillate fuels). It is a dark, viscous liquid at room temperature. It is a complex mix of hydrocarbons with carbon atoms ranging mainly from 20 to 55. It is produced by blending residues from various refinery processing units and diluting with middle distillates.

PYROLYSIS OIL – Test Results