Editing Pyrolysis (section)

=== Liquid and gaseous biofuels ===
{{see also|Biofuel}}
Pyrolysis is the basis of several methods for producing fuel from [[biomass]], i.e. [[lignocellulosic biomass]].<ref>Evans, G. [http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/metadot/index.pl?id=6597;isa=DBRow;op=show;dbview_id=2457 "Liquid Transport Biofuels – Technology Status Report"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919135538/http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/metadot/index.pl?id=6597;isa=DBRow;op=show;dbview_id=2457 |date=September 19, 2008 }}, "[[National Non-Food Crops Centre]]", 14-04-08. Retrieved on 2009-05-05.</ref> Crops studied as biomass feedstock for pyrolysis include native North American prairie grasses such as [[Panicum virgatum|''switchgrass'']] and bred versions of other grasses such as [[Miscanthus giganteus|''Miscantheus giganteus'']]. Other sources of [[organic matter]] as feedstock for pyrolysis include greenwaste, sawdust, waste wood, leaves, vegetables, nut shells, straw, cotton trash, rice hulls, and orange peels.<ref name="Zhou-2013" /> Animal waste including poultry litter, dairy manure, and potentially other manures are also under evaluation. Some industrial byproducts are also suitable feedstock including paper sludge, distillers grain,<ref name="bestEnergiesBestPyrol">{{cite web
 |title       = Biomass Feedstock for Slow Pyrolysis
 |work        = BEST Pyrolysis, Inc. website
 |publisher   = BEST Energies, Inc.
 |url         = http://www.bestenergies.com/companies/bestpyrolysis.html
 |access-date  = 2010-07-30
 |url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120102071009/http://www.bestenergies.com/companies/bestpyrolysis.html
 |archive-date = 2012-01-02
}}
</ref> and sewage sludge.<ref name="Zhao-2019">{{cite journal |last1=Zhao |first1=Ming |last2=Wang |first2=Fan |last3=Fan |first3=Yiran |last4=Raheem |first4=Abdul |last5=Zhou |first5=Hui |title=Low-temperature alkaline pyrolysis of sewage sludge for enhanced H2 production with in-situ carbon capture |journal=International Journal of Hydrogen Energy |date=March 2019 |volume=44 |issue=16 |pages=8020–8027 |doi=10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.02.040 }}</ref>

In the biomass components, the pyrolysis of hemicellulose happens between 210 and 310&nbsp;°C.<ref name="Zhou-2013" /> The pyrolysis of cellulose starts from 300 to 315&nbsp;°C and ends at 360–380&nbsp;°C, with a peak at 342–354&nbsp;°C.<ref name="Zhou-2013" /> Lignin starts to decompose at about 200&nbsp;°C and continues until 1000&nbsp;°C.<ref name="Zhou-2015-2">{{cite journal |last1=Zhou |first1=Hui |last2=Long |first2=Yanqiu |last3=Meng |first3=Aihong |last4=Chen |first4=Shen |last5=Li |first5=Qinghai |last6=Zhang |first6=Yanguo |title=A novel method for kinetics analysis of pyrolysis of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin in TGA and macro-TGA |journal=RSC Advances |date=2015 |volume=5 |issue=34 |pages=26509–26516 |doi=10.1039/C5RA02715B |bibcode=2015RSCAd...526509Z }}</ref>

Synthetic [[diesel fuel]] by pyrolysis of organic materials is not yet economically competitive.<ref name="us_doe">
  {{cite web 
  | url=http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pyrolysis.html 
  | publisher=US DOE 
  | title=Pyrolysis and Other Thermal Processing
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814144750/http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pyrolysis.html 
  | archive-date=2007-08-14}}
</ref>  Higher efficiency is sometimes achieved by '''flash pyrolysis''', in which finely divided feedstock is quickly heated to between {{convert|350|and|500|°C|F|sigfig=2}} for less than two seconds.

[[Syngas]] is usually produced by pyrolysis.<ref name="humboldt" />

The low quality of oils produced through pyrolysis can be improved by physical and chemical processes,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ramirez|first1=Jerome|last2=Brown|first2=Richard|last3=Rainey|first3=Thomas|title=A Review of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Bio-Crude Properties and Prospects for Upgrading to Transportation Fuels|journal=Energies|date=1 July 2015|volume=8|issue=7|pages=6765–6794|doi=10.3390/en8076765|doi-access=free}}</ref> which might drive up production costs, but may make sense economically as circumstances change.

There is also the possibility of integrating with other processes such as [[mechanical biological treatment]] and [[anaerobic digestion]].<ref>Marshall, A. T. & Morris, J. M. (2006) [http://www.alexmarshall.me.uk/index_files/documents/CIWM.pdf A Watery Solution and Sustainable Energy Parks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928070845/http://www.alexmarshall.me.uk/index_files/documents/CIWM.pdf |date=2007-09-28 }}, [[Chartered Institute of Wastes Management|CIWM]] Journal, pp. 22–23</ref>  Fast pyrolysis is also investigated for biomass conversion.<ref name="Westerhof">
  {{cite thesis
 |author      = Westerhof, Roel Johannes Maria
 |title       = Refining fast pyrolysis of biomass
 |date        = 2011
 |publisher   = University of Twente
 |url         = http://doc.utwente.nl/78777/
 |work        = Thermo-Chemical Conversion of Biomass
 |access-date  = 2012-05-30
 |url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130617144633/http://doc.utwente.nl/78777/
 |archive-date = 2013-06-17
}}
</ref>  Fuel bio-oil can also be produced by [[hydrous pyrolysis]].