Paper details

Title:

Integrated Pyrolysis and Biorefinery Strategies for Valorising Forestry Biomass through the Production of Calcium Acetate

Author(s):

Canals-Calderón, A., Cuadrench, A., Mora, M., Fàbregas, E., Céspedes, F., Puy, N.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Forest biomass represents a promising resource within the bioeconomy, with significant potential for conversion into high-value chemicals and bioproducts. This work proposes an innovative thermochemical biorefinery pathway to valorise two types of underutilised forest biomass: Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and Holm oak (Quercus ilex), transforming it into value-added bioproducts that can provide economic incentive for sustainable forest management. A targeted biorefining methodology was developed, incorporating vacuum distillation, phenolic adsorption resin, and neutralisation with calcium oxide, to selectively isolate and purify acetic acid—the predominant component of bio-oil—in the form of calcium acetate (CaAc2). Holm oak consistently produced higher yields from the aqueous phase bio-oil compared to Aleppo pine, underscoring its superior suitability for this valorisation pathway. This methodology demonstrated high efficiency in recovering calcium acetate from bio-oil, yielding 111.1 g CaAc2/kg of bio-oil for Holm oak, with a 70.5 wt.% acid recovery, and a 99.6 wt.% phenolic removal. Overall, this work significantly advances pyrolysis oil biorefining by introducing a novel and effective approach for acetic acid extraction via calcium acetate production, a valuable industrial chemical.

Keywords:

biorefinery, pyrolysis oil, wood pyrolysis, chemical extraction

Topic:

Biomass Conversion to Intermediate Bioenergy Carriers and Sustainable Biofuels

Subtopic:

Pyrolysis

Event:

34th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

5CO.10.1

Pages:

749 - 753

ISBN:

978-88-89407-27-1

Paper DOI:

10.5071/34thEUBCE2026-5CO.10.1

Price:

FREE