Improving the quality of fast pyrolysis bio-oil by reduced pressure distillation

In the present study, reduced pressure distillation was performed to obtain distilled bio-oil from fast pyrolysis bio-oil. The experiments were completed at temperature 80 °C with a residual pressure of 15 mmHg. The distilled bio-oil yields of 61 wt% from reduced pressure distillation of fast pyrolysis bio-oil were obtained. The oxygen contents of the distilled bio-oil is 9.2 wt% and the distilled bio-oil has lower content of oxygen than the fast pyrolysis bio-oil. For this reason, compared with the fast pyrolysis bio-oil, the distilled bio-oil has higher heating value, lower corrosivity and better stability. The heating value of distilled bio-oil is 34.2 MJ/kg, which is about 2 times of that of fast pyrolysis bio-oil. It is found that the distilled bio-oil stored at 60 °C results in a weight loss of about 0.3% for mild steel and the distilled bio-oil’s viscosity hardly increases during storage. These properties of distilled bio-oil make it more suitable for fuel oil use or as a source of chemicals than fast pyrolysis bio-oil.

► Reduced pressure distillation can be performed to obtain distilled bio-oil from pyrolysis bio-oil.
► The distilled bio-oil yields of 61 wt% from reduced pressure distillation of fast pyrolysis bio-oil were obtained.
► The distilled bio-oil has lower content of oxygen and higher heating value.
► These properties of distilled bio-oil make it more suitable for fuel oil use or as a source of chemicals than fast pyrolysis bio-oil.