@inproceedings{01HYMQMQ8QDPX8S85HX0J3WVWB,
  abstract     = {{Within the field lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis targeting the production of platform molecules, some of the currently researched processes involve fast pyrolysis, catalytic fast pyrolysis and, in case H2 is used as a reactive environment, (catalytic) hydropyrolysis. However, several drawbacks exist: fast pyrolysis of biomass produces highly oxygenated bio-oils thereby rendering them unstable, their complex chemical composition is not conducive to the extraction of specific model compounds.
Catalytic pyrolysis has typically low liquid yields and high carbon losses due to excessive coke formation. A potential novel solution is using eutectic molten salts as reaction medium. The molten salts offer multiple benefits in pyrolysis: (i) increased heat transfer rates, (ii) act as a catalytic reaction medium and (iii) facilitate the feeding of biomass to pressurized reaction vessels. These notions formed the basis for the European H2020 project ‘ABC-Salt’ in which ternary ZnCl2-KCl-NaCl molten salts were used to pyrolyze forestry and agricultural residual biomass under a high-pressure H2 atmosphere. The presented research was done at analytical scale (py-GC-MS).
Under optimized conditions (0.4 MPa, 350°C, 9 wt.% biomass in salt), lignocellulosic biomass like pinewood selectively decomposed towards acetic acid and furfural, with a total furan yield of 32.6 wt.% which was more than double when the feedstock was pyrolyzed in the absence of the molten salts. When applying a H2 atmosphere at the same pressure conditions, the furan compounds consisted of a mixture of furfural and 2-methyl furan (2-MF), the latter in a yield of 8.2 to 8.7 wt.%. Because 2-MF is considered the platform chemical of interest, residual vapor-phase furfural was catalytically converted to 2-MF over a Cu/AC or Cu/SiO2 catalyst. As the outlet vapor stream of molten salt catalytic hydropyrolysis is still rich in H2, the system lends itself well to perform additional catalytic hydrogenation reactions in the vapor phase. As a result, 2-MF production could be achieved with 92% selectivity. Technical lignins were assessed in molten salt hydropyrolysis. Under optimal conditions (>400°C, 3 MPa H2, 24 wt.% biomass in salt) volatiles’ mass yields (27 wt.%) were significantly larger than when no salts had been used, the number of phenolic compounds had been reduced (less complex composition) and over 45 % of deoxygenation had been achieved by the virtue of demethoxylation reactions that were catalytically promoted by the eutectic salt. 
The presentation will also highlight some of the encountered drawbacks of the molten salts and opportunities for process integration and scale-up.}},
  author       = {{Ronsse, Frederik and Estrada Leon, Adriana and Ulloa-Murillo, Leidy Marcela and Ghysels, Stef and Prins, Wolter}},
  booktitle    = {{24th International Symposium on Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (Pyro2024), Abstracts}},
  keywords     = {{Molten salts,Fast pyrolysis,Catalysis,Py-GC-MS}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{Beijing, China}},
  title        = {{Production of platform chemicals through (hydro)pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in molten salts}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}