Analytical techniques tailored for biomass transformation to biofuels
Résumé
An analytical platform was developed for the detection of biomass oxygenates and biocarbon in biogasoline produced by coprocessing of hydrodeoxygenated pyrolysis oils (HDO-oil) and vacuum gas oil. A combination of different analytical techniques is necessary for analyzing such complex mixtures. The presence of various oxygenated compounds such as alcohols, acids, and phenols was quantified using phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Different alkylphenols were identified using two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The transformations of lignin oligomers present in HDO-oil were determined with size-exclusion chromatography carried out for the products. Accelerator mass spectrometry was used to make the distinction between carbonaceous material of biological origin and that of fossil origin. This type of analytical platform, which is tailored for bio-oil identification and quantification, appears to be required for exploratory catalyst research and kinetic studies in this rapidly expanding domain. (c) 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 32: 377-383, 2013