Pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass for biochemical production

Biomass pyrolysis is considered as a promising technology of producing valuable biochemicals. Representative chemicals that can be obtained from the pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass include acetic acid, furfural, and phenolic compounds. Acetic acid is primarily generated from the degradation of hemicellulose and partly from the degradation of cellulose and lignin. Furfural is a typical degradation product of hemicellulose, whereas phenolic compounds are the degradation products of lignin. This chapter covers the mechanism of formation of the above-stated chemicals during pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and presents experimental data for the production of these chemicals via pyrolysis of different lignocellulosic feedstocks under various conditions.