Effects of high-pressure homogenization on physicochemical properties and storage stability of switchgrass bio-oil

A high-pressure homogenization (HPH) technique was used to improve the physicochemical properties and storage stability of switchgrass bio-oil. The viscosity, ethanol-insoluble fraction, and mass average molecular weight (Mw) of the bio-oil decreased significantly, and particle size became smaller after HPH processing; however, no significant changes were detected in heating value, water content, density, pH value, or ash content. The bio-oil's chemical composition changed after HPH: amounts of some compounds (furfural, levoglucosan, diethoxymethyl acetate, and lignin-derived compounds) increased, while others (acetic acid and 1,2-ethanediol) decreased. The homogenization processing remarkably improved switchgrass bio-oil stability: the viscosity of bio-oil homogenized at 100 MPa increased by only 13.9% after storage at 40 °C for 60 days, whereas that of unhomogenized oil increased 56% after the same storage period. The operating cost was very modest at only $0.0102/L for bio-oil HPH processing at 100 MPa.