Study on susceptibility of CO2-assisted pyrolysis of various biomass to CO2

This study systematically investigates simultaneous genuine roles of CO2 in pyrolysis process by comparing the susceptibility of pyrolysis of various biomass feedstocks (spent coffee ground, oak wood, corn stover, macroalgae, microalgae, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) to CO2: 1) the enhanced thermal cracking of volatile organic carbons (VOCs) evolved from the thermal decomposition of biomass and 2) the direct reaction between VOCs and CO2. The identified roles of CO2 led to the enhanced generation of CO and the subsequent reduction of condensable tar. Even though the influence of CO2 on pyrolysis of various biomass and coal was universal, it exhibited a different magnitude due to the different susceptibility to CO2. This study also reports that the susceptibility to CO2 was contingent on the lignin content in biomass.