Abstract
In the present work, birch and spruce woodchips were pyrolyzed in a fixed bed reactor under different pyrolysis
conditions. The effects of pyrolysis temperature and atmosphere (i.e., with and without gas purging) on yield
and chemical composition of liquid products were investigated. The liquid products from the pyrolysis
experiments were condensed, collected and analysed by using a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass
spectrometer (GC/MS). The results showed that the yields of liquid products from pyrolysis of birch and spruce
wood were different upon changes of pyrolysis temperature, purge gas flow rate and the different initial fuel
chemical compositions. Higher yield of liquid products was obtained from pyrolysis of the birch wood at higher
temperature or with purging of N2. The organic composition of liquid products from pyrolysis of spruce and birch
wood is dominated by acetic acid, levoglucosan, and oxygenated aromatic compounds consisting mainly of
phenol and phenol derivatives. Change of pyrolysis conditions caused changes in the chemical composition of
liquid products from pyrolysis of birch wood. The chemical composition of liquid products from pyrolysis of birch
and spruce wood are different, which is mainly related to different chemical composition of these two kinds of
wood, being respectively hardwood and softwood.
conditions. The effects of pyrolysis temperature and atmosphere (i.e., with and without gas purging) on yield
and chemical composition of liquid products were investigated. The liquid products from the pyrolysis
experiments were condensed, collected and analysed by using a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass
spectrometer (GC/MS). The results showed that the yields of liquid products from pyrolysis of birch and spruce
wood were different upon changes of pyrolysis temperature, purge gas flow rate and the different initial fuel
chemical compositions. Higher yield of liquid products was obtained from pyrolysis of the birch wood at higher
temperature or with purging of N2. The organic composition of liquid products from pyrolysis of spruce and birch
wood is dominated by acetic acid, levoglucosan, and oxygenated aromatic compounds consisting mainly of
phenol and phenol derivatives. Change of pyrolysis conditions caused changes in the chemical composition of
liquid products from pyrolysis of birch wood. The chemical composition of liquid products from pyrolysis of birch
and spruce wood are different, which is mainly related to different chemical composition of these two kinds of
wood, being respectively hardwood and softwood.