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10 - Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

By
Aidan Mark Smith  and
Konstantinos Anastasakis
Edited by
Sven Gjedde Sommer ,
Morten Lykkegaard Christensen ,
Birgir Norddahl ,
Morten Ambye-Jensen  and
Maria Cinta Roda-Serrat
Sven Gjedde Sommer
Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
Morten Lykkegaard Christensen
Affiliation:
Aalborg University, Denmark
Birgir Norddahl
Affiliation:
University of Southern Denmark
Morten Ambye-Jensen
Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
Maria Cinta Roda-Serrat
Affiliation:
University of Southern Denmark
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Summary

Our infrastructure and production is based on fossilized carbon feedstock. This fossil carbon used was once biogenic carbon that has undergone a natural thermochemical conversion and very similar products can be produced from biomass via thermochemical processing; enabling the utilization of the existing infrastructure. The thermochemical processes; pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion, are commercially available for coal but their adaption to biomass is lagging. Understanding both the chemical and physical differences and considering the process chemistry can, however, mitigate this. This chapter talks the reader though the carbon and process chemistry in the thermal and hydrothermal processing of biomass.

Keywords

biomassconversionfueloxygentemperature
Type
Chapter
Information
Bioprocesses
A Comprehensive Guide to Sustainable Resources in the Non-Fossil Era
 , pp. 359 - 385
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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