Download or read book Production of Hydrocarbons by Catalytic Upgrading of Bio oil from Microwave assisted Pyrolysis of Biomass written by Rui Zhou and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass written by Robert C Brown and published by Royal Society of Chemistry. This book was released on 2017-07-07 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fast pyrolysis and related catalytic pyrolysis are of increasing interest as pathways to advanced biofuels that closely mimic traditional petroleum products. Research has moved from empirical investigations to more fundamental studies of pyrolysis mechanisms. Theories on the chemical and physical pathways from plant polymers to pyrolysis products have proliferated as a result. This book brings together the latest developments in pyrolysis science and technology. It examines, reviews and challenges the unresolved and sometimes controversial questions about pyrolysis, helping advance the understanding of this important technology and stimulating discussion on the various competing theories of thermal deconstruction of plant polymers. Beginning with an introduction to the biomass-to-biofuels process via fast pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis, chapters address prominent questions such as whether free radicals or concerted reactions dominate deconstruction reactions. Finally, the book concludes with an economic analysis of fast pyrolysis versus catalytic pyrolysis. This book will be of interest to advanced students and researchers interested in the science behind renewable fuel technology, and particularly the thermochemical processing of biomass.

Download or read book Development of Microwave Pyrolysis Biochar as Carbon Catalysts for High Value Chemicals and Hydrocarbons written by Lei Zhu and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Catalytic pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is considered as a promising thermochemical process for the production of fuels and chemicals, which are currently obtained from petrochemical infrastructure. With the development of biomass pyrolysis, increasing amount of biochar will be produced for applications. Most of the biochar exploitation mainly highlighted in the area of water treatment and soil amendment. However, the potential value of the pyrolysis biochar used as carbon based catalyst is still in its infancy. This PhD dissertation aims to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of a low cost biochar catalyst for microwave-assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis, and to obtain upgrading bio-oil with increased hydrocarbon yields and low oxygen content. Furthermore, upgrade it into alternative transportation fuels and commodity chemicals. The results indicated that the surface functional groups of biochar were significantly influenced by the pyrolysis temperature and residence time. An adequate prediction model was developed to describe the development of carbon surface functional groups. The in situ catalytic pyrolysis of Douglas fir pellets with biochar catalysts was performed in a microwave reactor. The highest amount of hydrocarbons yield (up to 52.77% selectivity of bio-oil) was achieved from catalytic pyrolysis over biochar catalyst. A non-condensable gas enriched in H2, CO, and CO 2 was observed, and analyzed by micro-GC. The amounts of H2 and CO increased during catalytic pyrolysis compared to the non-catalytic runs. GC/MS analysis results showed that the quantity of lignin derived guaiacols decreased dramatically with the increase of the ratio of catalyst to biomass. The biochar catalyst exhibited good selectivity towards hydrocarbon and phenol compounds, simplifying the chemical composition, reducing undesirable compounds and producing pyrolysis oil at an acceptable yield. Based on these outcomes, structural characteristics, thermal behavior and reaction kinetics regarding non-catalytic pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis over biochar catalysts were also studied. In addition, the techno-economic analysis of the integrated microwave assisted catalytic pyrolysis processes from lignocellulosic biomass to renewable hydrocarbon and commodity chemicals was evaluated in the dissertation as well. Modification and characterization of biochar could be a new way to improve or extend their catalytic application in biomass conversion and bio-oil upgrading.

Download or read book Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Pyrolysis written by Zhen Fang and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a collection of studies on state-of-art techniques for converting biomass to chemical products by means of pyrolysis, which are widely applicable to the valorization of biomass. In addition to discussing the fundamentals and mechanisms for producing bio-oils, chemicals, gases and biochar using pyrolysis, it outlines key reaction parameters and reactor configurations for various types of biomass. Written by leading experts and providing a broad range of perspectives on cutting-edge applications, the book is a comprehensive reference guide for academic researchers and industrial engineers in the fields of natural renewable materials, biorefinery of lignocellulose, biofuels, and environmental engineering, and a valuable resource for university students in the fields of chemical engineering, material science and environmental engineering.

Download or read book Aromatic Hydrocarbons Production from Catalyst Assisted Microwave Pyrolysis of Douglas Fir Sawdust Pellet written by Lu Wang and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zinc modified ZSM-5 catalysts were synthesized and tested in ex-situ catalytic cracking close coupled to microwave assisted pyrolysis process. It was found that the Zn loading on ZSM-5 catalyst could lower the coke and made the process more sensitive to the (WHSV) --1, less sensitive to the cracking temperature than ZSM-5 catalyst.

Download or read book Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading written by Mark Crocker and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-03-09 with total page 634 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive reference to the use of innovative catalysts and processes to turn biomass into value-added chemicals Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading offers detailed descriptions of catalysts and catalytic processes employed in the synthesis of chemicals and fuels from the most abundant and important biomass types. The contributors?noted experts on the topic?focus on the application of catalysts to the pyrolysis of whole biomass and to the upgrading of bio-oils. The authors discuss catalytic approaches to the processing of biomass-derived oxygenates, as exemplified by sugars, via reactions such as reforming, hydrogenation, oxidation, and condensation reactions. Additionally, the book provides an overview of catalysts for lignin valorization via oxidative and reductive methods and considers the conversion of fats and oils to fuels and terminal olefins by means of esterification/transesterification, hydrodeoxygenation, and decarboxylation/decarbonylation processes. The authors also provide an overview of conversion processes based on terpenes and chitin, two emerging feedstocks with a rich chemistry, and summarize some of the emerging trends in the field. This important book: -Provides a comprehensive review of innovative catalysts, catalytic processes, and catalyst design -Offers a guide to one of the most promising ways to find useful alternatives for fossil fuel resources -Includes information on the most abundant and important types of biomass feedstocks -Examines fields such as catalytic cracking, pyrolysis, depolymerization, and many more Written for catalytic chemists, process engineers, environmental chemists, bioengineers, organic chemists, and polymer chemists, Chemical Catalysts for Biomass Upgrading presents deep insights on the most important aspects of biomass upgrading and their various types.

Download or read book Catalytic and Noncatalytic Upgrading of Oils written by Ajay K. Dalai and published by . This book was released on 2022-02-04 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book is about Catalytic and Noncatalytic Upgrading of Oils"--

Download or read book Catalytic Microwave Pyrolysis of Biomass for Renewable Phenols and Fuels written by Quan Bu and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bio-oil is an unstable intermediate and needs to be upgraded before its use. This study focused on improving the selectivity of bio-oilby catalytic pyrolysis of biomass using activated carbon (AC) catalysts. Firstly, the effects of process conditions on product quality and product yield were investigated by catalytic microwave pyrolysis of biomass using AC as a catalyst. The optimized reaction condition for bio-oil and volatile was determined. Chemical composition analysis by GC/MS showed that phenols rich bio-oils were obtained. Furthermore, the effects of different carbon sources based AC catalysts on products yield and chemical composition selectivity of obtained bio-oils were investigated during microwave pyrolysis of Douglas fir pellet. The catalysts recycling test of the selected catalysts indicated that the AC catalysts can be used for 3-4 times with high concentration of phenolic compounds. The individual surface polar/acidic oxygen functional groups analysis suggested the changes of functional groups in ACs explained the reaction mechanism of this process. In addition, the potential for production of renewable phenols and fuels by catalytic pyrolysis of biomass using lignin as a model compound was explored. The main chemical compounds of the obtained bio-oils were phenols, guaiacols, hydrocarbons and esters. The thermal decomposition behaviors of lignin and kinetics study were investigated by TGA. The change of functional groups of AC catalyst indicated the bio-oil reduction was related to the reaction mechanism of this process. Finally, the effects of Fe-modified AC catalyst on bio-oil upgrading and kintic study of biomass pyrolysis were investigated. The catalytic pyrolysis of biomass using the Fe-modified AC catalyst may promote the occurrence of the fragmentation of cellulose, rather than repolymerization as in the non-catalytic pyrolysis which leads to partial of guaiacols derived from furans. Results showed that the main chemical compounds of bio-oils were furans, phenols, guaiacols, and ketones/ethers. The activation energy of Douglas fir by microwave pyrolysis was remarkable lower than by conventional pyrolysis using TGA. And the reaction mechanism of this process was analyzed.

Download or read book Catalytic Microwave Torrefaction and Pyrolysis of Douglas Fir Pellet to Improve Biofuel Quality written by Shoujie Ren and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aims of this dissertation were to understand the effects of torrefaction as pretreatment on biomass pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis for improving biofuel quality, and the feasibility of biochar as a cheap catalyst for hydrocarbons production in biomass catalytic pyrolysis and bio-oil upgrading. The process conditions for microwave torrefaction and pyrolysis of Douglas fir sawdust pellets were optimized. Microwave pyrolysis of Douglas fir sawdust pellet produced a comparative bio-oil yield with those from fluidized-bed pyrolysis at the optimization conditions. The phenols and guaiacols accounted for the largest amount of chemicals in the bio-oil. The specific phenolic chemicals are highly related to the reaction temperature. The torrefaction conditions, such as reaction temperature and time, significantly influenced the yields of products. The bio-oils from torrefaction contained valuable chemicals. The energy yields of torrefied biomass ranging 67.03-90.06% implied that most energy was retained in the torrefied biomass. Torrefaction as pretreatment in biomass pyrolysis favored the phenols and sugar production, producing about 3.21 to 7.50 area% hydrocarbons while reducing organic acids and furans in bio-oils. Torrefaction also altered the compositions of syngas by reducing CO2 and increasing H2 and CH4. Torrefaction improved the phenols, hydrocarbons, and hydrogen production in catalytic microwave pyrolysis. The phenols, hydrocarbons, and H2 obtained from torrefied biomass catalytic pyrolysis over biochar were up to 46 area%, 16 area%, and 27.02 vol%, respectively. These results indicated that torrefaction as pretreatment can greatly improve the quality of bio-oil and syngas in biomass pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis. Upgraded bio-oil was dominated by phenols (37.23 area%) and hydrocarbons (42.56 area%) at higher biochar catalyst loadings. The biochar catalyst may be as a cheap catalyst in biomass conversion and bio-oil upgrading. The two step-reaction model fits well for Douglas fir sawdust torrefaction with the activation energies of about 112 kJ/mol and 150 kJ/mol for the first and second reaction stages, respectively. Derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves showed that the shoulder of hemicelluloses decomposition in torrefied biomass pyrolysis was eliminated. The first-order one-step global model fitted well for the raw and torrefied biomass pyrolysis with the average activation energies in the range of 203.94-195.13 kJ/mol.

Download or read book Catalysis written by James J Spivey and published by Royal Society of Chemistry. This book was released on 2021-06-14 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume looks at modern approaches to catalysis and reviews the extensive literature. Chapters highlight application of 2D materials in biomass conversion catalysis, plasmonic photocatalysis, catalytic demonstration of mesoporosity in the hierarchical zeolite and the effect of surface phase oxides on supported metals and catalysis. Looking to the future a chapter on ab initio machine learning for accelerating catalytic materials discovery is included. Appealing broadly to researchers in academia and industry, these illustrative chapters bridge the gap from academic studies in the laboratory to practical applications in industry not only for catalysis field but also for environmental protection. Other chapters with an industrial perspective include heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic routes for vinyl acetate synthesis, catalysis for production of jet fuel from renewable sources by HDO/HDC and microwave-assisted catalysis for fuel conversion. Chemical reactions in ball mills is also explored. The book will be of great benefit to any researcher wanting a succinct reference on developments in this area now and looking to the future.

Download or read book Pyrolysis Oils written by Tushar P. Vispute and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a growing need to develop the processes to produce renewable fuels and chemicals due to the economical, political, and environmental concerns associated with the fossil fuels. One of the most promising methods for a small scale conversion of biomass into liquid fuels is fast pyrolysis. The liquid product obtained from the fast pyrolysis of biomass is called pyrolysis oil or bio-oil. It is a complex mixture of more than 300 compounds resulting from the depolymerization of biomass building blocks, cellulose; hemi-cellulose; and lignin. Bio-oils have low heating value, high moisture content, are acidic, contain solid char particles, are incompatible with existing petroleum based fuels, are thermally unstable, and degrade with time. They cannot be used directly in a diesel or a gasoline internal combustion engine. One of the challenges with the bio-oil is that it is unstable and can phase separate when stored for long. Its viscosity and molecular weight increases with time. It is important to identify the factors responsible for the bio-oil instability and to stabilize the bio-oil. The stability analysis of the bio-oil showed that the high molecular weight lignin oligomers in the bio-oil are mainly responsible for the instability of bio-oil. The viscosity increase in the bio-oil was due to two reasons: increase in the average molecular weight and increase in the concentration of high molecular weight oligomers. Char can be removed from the bio-oil by microfiltration using ceramic membranes with pore sizes less than 1 [mu meter]. Removal of char does not affect the bio-oil stability but is desired as char can cause difficulty in further processing of the bio-oil. Nanofiltration and low temperature hydrogenation were found to be the promising techniques to stabilize the bio-oil. Bio-oil must be catalytically converted into fuels and chemicals if it is to be used as a feedstock to make renewable fuels and chemicals. The water soluble fraction of bio-oil (WSBO) was found to contain C2 to C6 oxygenated hydrocarbons with various functionalities. In this study we showed that both hydrogen and alkanes can be produced with high yields from WSBO using aqueous phase processing. Hydrogen was produced by aqueous phase reforming over Pt/Al2O3 catalyst. Alkanes were produced by hydrodeoxygenation over Pt/SiO2-Al2O3. Both of these processes were preceded by a low temperature hydrogenation step over Ru/C catalyst. This step was critical to achieve high yields of hydrogen and alkanes. WSBO was also converted to gasoline-range alcohols and C2 to C6 diols with up to 46% carbon yield by a two-stage hydrogenation process over Ru/C catalyst (125 °C) followed by over Pt/C (250 °C) catalyst. Temperature and pressure can be used to tune the product selectivity. The hydroprocessing of bio-oil was followed by zeolite upgrading to produce C6 to C8 aromatic hydrocarbons and C2 to C4 olefins. Up to 70% carbon yield to aromatics and olefins was achieved from the hydrogenated aqueous fraction of bio-oil. The hydroprocessing steps prior to the zeolite upgrading increases the thermal stability of bio-oil as well as the intrinsic hydrogen content. Increasing the thermal stability of bio-oil results in reduced coke yields in zeolite upgrading, whereas, increasing the intrinsic hydrogen content results in more oxygen being removed from bio-oil as H2O than CO and CO2. This results in higher carbon yields to aromatic hydrocarbon and olefins. Integrating hydroprocessing with zeolite upgrading produces a narrow product spectrum and reduces the hydrogen requirement of the process as compared to processes solely based on hydrotreating. Increasing the yield of petrochemical products from biomass therefore requires hydrogen, thus cost of hydrogen dictates the maximum economic potential of the process.

Download or read book Renewable Hydrocarbons for Jet Fuels from Biomass and Plastics Via Microwave induced Pyrolysis and Hydrogenation Processes written by Xuesong Zhang and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation aims to enhance the production of aromatic hydrocarbons in the catalytic microwave-induced pyrolysis, and maximize the production of renewable cycloalkanes for jet fuels in the hydrogenation process. In the process, ZSM-5 catalyst as the highly efficient catalyst was employed for catalyzing the pyrolytic volatiles from thermal decomposition of cellulose (a model compound of lignocellulosic biomass). A central composite experiment design (CCD) was used to optimize the product yields as a function of independent factors (e.g. catalytic temperature and catalyst to feed mass ratio). The low-density polyethylene (a mode compound of waste plastics) was then carried out in the catalytic microwave-induced pyrolysis in the presence of ZSM-5 catalyst. Thereafter, the catalytic microwave-induced co-pyrolysis of cellulose with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was conducted over ZSM-5 catalyst. The results showed that the production of aromatic hydrocarbons was significantly enhanced and the coke formation was also considerably reduced comparing with the catalytic microwave pyrolysis of cellulose or LDPE alone. Moreover, practical lignocellulosic biomass (Douglas fir sawdust pellets) was converted into aromatics-enriched bio-oil by catalytic microwave pyrolysis. The bio-oil was subsequently hydrogenated by using the Raney Ni catalyst. A liquid-liquid extraction step was implemented to recover the liquid organics and remove the water content. Over 20% carbon yield of liquid product regarding lignocellulosic biomass was obtained. Up to 90% selectivity in the liquid product belongs to jet fuel range cycloalkanes. As the integrated processes was developed, catalytic microwave pyrolysis of cellulose with LDPE was conducted to improve aromatic production. After the liquid-liquid extraction by the optimal solvent (n-heptane), over 40% carbon yield of hydrogenated organics based on cellulose and LDPE were achieved in the hydrogenation process. As such, real lignocellulosic biomass with LDPE were transformed into aromatics via co-feed catalytic microwave pyrolysis. It was also found that close to 40% carbon yield of hydrogenated organics were garnered. Based on these outcomes, the reaction kinetics regarding non-catalytic co-pyrolysis and catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass with plastics were also presented. In addition, the techno-economic analysis of the catalytically integrated processes from lignocellulosic biomass to renewable cycloalkanes for jet fuels was evaluated in the dissertation as well.

Download or read book Sustainable Catalytic Conversion of Biomass for the Production of Biofuels and Bioproducts written by Gabriel Morales and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2020-12-02 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biomass is widely considered as a potential alternative to dwindling fossil fuel reserves. There is a large variety of biomass sources (oleaginous, lignocellulosic, algae, etc.), with many possible conversion routes and products. Currently, biomass is not just viewed as a source of biofuels, but also as an interesting feedstock for the production of bio-based chemicals that could largely replace petrochemicals. In this context, the search for new sustainable and efficient alternatives to fossil sources is gaining increasing relevance within the chemical industry. There, the role of catalysis is often critical for the development of clean and sustainable processes, aiming to produce commodity chemicals or liquid fuels with a high efficiency and atom economy. This book gathers works at the cutting edge of investigation in the application of catalysis, for the sustainable conversion of biomass into biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

Download or read book Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Microwave written by Zhen Fang and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-11-26 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conversion of biomass into chemicals and biofuels is an active research and development area as trends move to replace traditional fossil fuels with renewable resources. By integrating processing methods with microwave and ultrasound irradiation into biorefineries, the time-scale of many operations can be greatly reduced while the efficiency of the reactions can be remarkably increased so that process intensification can be achieved. “Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Microwave” and “Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Ultrasound” are two independent volumes in the Biofuels and Biorefineries series that take different, but complementary approaches for the pretreatment and chemical transformation of biomass into chemicals and biofuels. The volume “Microwave” provides current research advances and prospects in theoretical and practical aspects of microwave irradiation including properties, effects and temperature monitoring, design of chemical reactors, synergistic effects on combining microwave, ultrasound, hydrodynamic cavitation and high-shear mixing into processes, chemical and catalytic conversion of lignin into chemicals, pyrolysis and gasification, syngas production from wastes, platform chemicals, algal biodiesel, cellulose-based nanocomposites, lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment, green chemistry metrics and energy consumption and techno-economic analysis for a catalytic pyrolysis facility that processes pellets into aromatics. Each of the 12 chapters has been peer-reviewed and edited to improve both the quality of the text and the scope and coverage of the topics. Both volumes “Microwave” and “Ultrasound” are references designed for students, researchers, academicians and industrialists in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering and include introductory chapters to highlight present concepts of the fundamental technologies and their application. Dr. Zhen Fang is Professor in Bioenergy, Leader and founder of biomass group, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and is also adjunct Professor of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China. Dr. Richard L Smith, Jr. is Professor of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Research Center of Supercritical Fluid Technology, Tohoku University, Japan. Dr. Xinhua Qi is Professor of Environmental Science, Nankai University, China.

Download or read book Pyrolysis of Biomass written by Shurong Wang and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the development of societies fossil energy is no longer the only energy resource, and increasing attention had been paid to alternative energy. Biomass is considered to be one of the alternatives due to efficiency and low cost. This book presents biomass pyrolysis behavior for three main components: Cellulose, Hemicellulose and Lignin, and discusses the influence of mineral salts , zeolite catalysts and metal oxide on their pyrolysis.

Download or read book Liquid Biofuels written by Krushna Prasad Shadangi and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-06-29 with total page 754 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Compiled by a well-known expert in the field, Liquid Biofuels provides a profound knowledge to researchers about biofuel technologies, selection of raw materials, conversion of various biomass to biofuel pathways, selection of suitable methods of conversion, design of equipment, selection of operating parameters, determination of chemical kinetics, reaction mechanism, preparation of bio-catalyst: its application in bio-fuel industry and characterization techniques, use of nanotechnology in the production of biofuels from the root level to its application and many other exclusive topics for conducting research in this area. Written with the objective of offering both theoretical concepts and practical applications of those concepts, Liquid Biofuels can be both a first-time learning experience for the student facing these issues in a classroom and a valuable reference work for the veteran engineer or scientist. The description of the detailed characterization methodologies along with the precautions required during analysis are extremely important, as are the detailed description about the ultrasound assisted biodiesel production techniques, aviation biofuels and its characterization techniques, advance in algal biofuel techniques, pre-treatment of biomass for biofuel production, preparation and characterization of bio-catalyst, and various methods of optimization. The book offers a comparative study between the various liquid biofuels obtained from different methods of production and its engine performance and emission analysis so that one can get the utmost idea to find the better biofuel as an alternative fuel. Since the book covers almost all the field of liquid biofuel production techniques, it will provide advanced knowledge to the researcher for practical applications across the energy sector. A valuable reference for engineers, scientists, chemists, and students, this volume is applicable to many different fields, across many different industries, at all levels. It is a must-have for any library.

Download or read book Fast and Microwave induced Pyrolysis Bio oil from Eucalyptus Grandis written by Ryan David Merckel and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hardwood Eucalyptus grandis has been shown to be an important commodity for forestry-related industries as it has significantly faster specific growth rates per annum when compared with other types of tree species. It has therefore been suggested that residues from E. grandis may be a useful source of biomass for use in the production of biofuels for the transportation industry. Notably, E. grandis plantations within the Southern Hemisphere have some of the fastest growth rates worldwide. Due to the inherent nature of biomasses, such as lignocellulosic types having a significant amount of oxygen present, upgrading of biofuels produced from E. grandis is necessary. Several approaches were therefore evaluated to upgrade pyrolysis oils produced from E. grandis so as to increase their calorific values by decreasing oxygen content and subsequently increasing the hydrogen ratio. The hydrogen-to-carbon (H/C) and oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratios may be used successfully to evaluate the performances of catalyst-based upgrading techniques for either in situ or ex situ pyrolysis. In this regard the van Krevelen diagram, in which biofuels can be compared for their suitability as transportation fuels, along with their respective calorific values, is useful. The pyro-gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) equipment is useful for the rapid and accurate evaluation of different catalysts for fast pyrolysis applications, and it was used here to evaluate the performances of the catalysts bentonite and ZSM-5 zeolite for upgrading pyrolysis oil produced from E. grandis biomass. A van Krevelen diagram was used to evaluate the performance of these catalysts, in conjunction with calorific values, based on the higher heating values v for the pyrolysis oils. Further studies were completed for microwave pyrolysis as it is a less harsh form of pyrolysis based on energy-transfer mechanisms. Mass balances were done and demonstrated good repeatability, with more stable pyrolysis oils being produced. This stability may be attributed to similarities between microwave pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction as microwave pyrolysis induces conditions comparable to those of hydrothermal liquefaction within the wood cells, and both methods produce a stable product called bio-crude. Furthermore, it was found that these pyrolysis oils could be distilled so as to remove some of the water content and improve the higher heating value (HHV) from 13.80 to 23.30 MJ/kg. However, this was not as high as the theoretical yield of 26.70 MJ/kg, and better performance was obtained for fast pyrolysis catalysed with ZSM-5 zeolite at 300 °C, which achieved an HHV of 34.54 MJ/kg. It is recommended that ZSM-5 zeolite catalysis be used in microwave-assisted vacuum pyrolysis to determine whether a similar improvement may be realised. Microwave-assisted pyrolysis should also be investigated as a possible technology for inducing conditions similar to hydrothermal liquefaction processes within the cells that make up the biomass.