Effect of an electron beam on the subsequent pyrogenic distillation of lignin and cellulose

•Irradiation facilitates subsequent dry distillation of cellulose and lignin.•Overpoints of irradiated samples are decreasing.•Furans and methoxy-phenols formation improves.

The irradiation notably influences responsiveness of cellulose and lignin to the subsequent pyrogenic distillation though both weight and the form of samples do not change almost at doses up to 3 MGy. Decreases in overpoint of lignin and cellulose irradiated at 2.2 MGy are ~80°and ~100°, respectively. Third of condensate from cellulose and almost half from lignin are distilled-off at lower temperatures. The thermally instable compounds convertible mainly to furans via subsequent heating are forming in cellulose. Distillation of the irradiated lignin gives less tar which, however, is richer by methoxy-phenols. In distilled-off water–organic fraction the content of soluble organic compounds is increased.