Biofuels from Beech Wood via Thermochemicals Conversion Methods

Abstract

In this study characterization of Oriental beech wood (Fagus orientalis) with Turkish origin was investigated with aspect of structural, chemical, and thermochemical conversional properties. Liquefaction, supercritical fluid extraction, and pyrolysis of the samples were studied to obtain liquid fuel oils and chemicals. Beech wood was partly converted to liquefaction products in glycerol. The conversion products were 19.4, 32.3, and 64.6% by weight at 523, 543, and 563 K, respectively. The liquefaction yield sharply increased with increasing the temperature near critical temperature and after that. Ethanol is the best solvent for supercritical fluid extraction at lower temperatures. In the pyrolysis, increases of liquid yields are considerably sharp for all of the samples with increasing of pyrolysis temperature from 695 to 720 K. The highest increase of liquid yield was obtained from the beech wood sample with +0.063 mm particle size in the pyrolysis conditions. The maximum liquid yield was 36.3% at 720 K.