CATALYTIC PYROLYSIS OF FINE PARTICULATE BIOMASS, AND METHOD FOR REDUCING THE PARTICLE SIZE OF SOLID BIOMASS PARTICLES
A process is disclosed for converting a particulate biomass material to a bioliquid. In the process the biomass material is mixed with a heat transfer medium and a catalytic material, and heated to a temperature in the range of from 150 to 600° C. The particle size of the solid biomass may be reduced by abrasion in admixture with inorganic particles under agitation by a gas. The biomass particles of reduced size obtained in the abrasion process may be converted to bioliquid in any of a number of conversion processes.
1 . A process for the thermal conversion of a fine particulate biomass comprising the steps of:
a) providing a mixture of the fine particulate biomass, a heat transfer medium, and a catalytic material;
b) heating said mixture to a temperature of from 150 to 600° C.
2 . The process of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer medium is sand.
3 . The process of claim 1 wherein the catalytic material is in a particulate form.
4 . The process of claim 1 wherein the catalytic material comprises a transition metal.
5 . The process of claim 4 wherein the catalytic metal is a non-noble transition metal.
6 . The process of claim 5 wherein the catalytic metal is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni and mixtures thereof.
7 . The process of claim 1 wherein the catalytic material is an inorganic oxide or an inorganic hydroxide.
8 . The process of any one of the preceding claims wherein step a) comprises
the sub-steps of mixing biomass particles having a particle size in the range of 5 to 50 mm with an inorganic particulate material having a particle size in the range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm, and agitating the mixture with a gas whereby the particle size of the biomass is reduced to 0.1 to 3 mm.
9 . The process of claim 8 wherein the particulate mixture further comprises a catalytic material.
10 . The process of claim 8 wherein the inorganic particulate material has catalytic activity.
11 . The process of any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein the agitating gas is air.
12 . The process of any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein the agitating gas is oxygen-poor.
13 . The process of claim 12 wherein the agitating gas is substantially oxygen-free.
14 . The process of any one of claims 8 to 13 wherein the particulate mixture is agitated to form a fluid bed, an ebullient bed, or a spouting bed.
15 . The process of any one of claims 8 to 13 wherein the particulate mixture is agitated to the point of pneumatic conveyance.
16 . The process of any one of claims 8 to 15 wherein the particulate mixture is agitated at a temperature in the range of 50 to 150° C.
17 . The process of claim 1 wherein step a) comprises:
mixing particulate biomass material and an inert inorganic material;
heating and fluidizing the mixture;
adding catalytic material to the fluidized mixture in the form of fine solid particles.
18 . The process of claim 1 wherein step a) comprises:
dispersing the catalytic material in a solvent;
providing a mixture of particulate biomass material and particulate inert inorganic material;
adding the dispersed catalytic material to said mixture.
19 . The process of claim 2 wherein the heat transfer medium is sand that has been used in a sandblasting process.
20 . The process of claim 19 wherein the sand has been used in the sandblasting of steel.
21 . The process of claim 1 carried out in a reactor which is operated under reduced pressure.
23 . The process of claim 1 carried out in a reactor which is operated in an oxygen-poor atmosphere.
24 . The process of claim 1 carried out in a reactor containing more than one temperature zone.
25 . The process of claim 1 carried out in more than one reactor, each operating under different reaction conditions.
26 . The process of claim 1 comprising the further step of removing a carbon deposit from the heat transfer medium by burning, and using heat resulting from this burning in the thermal conversion process.
27 . A process for preparing a bioliquid from a solid biomass material, said process comprising the steps of:
a) providing the solid biomass in the from of particles having a particle size of greater than 5 mm;
b) mixing the biomass particles of step a) with an inorganic particulate material having a particle size in the range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm;
c) agitating the mixture obtained in step b) with a gas whereby the particle size of the biomass is reduced to 0.1 to 3 mm;
d) subjecting the biomass particles obtained in step c) to hydrothermal conversion.
28 . A process for preparing a bioliquid from a solid biomass material, said process comprising the steps of:
a) providing the solid biomass in the from of particles having a particle size of greater than 5 mm;
b) mixing the biomass particles of step a) with an inorganic particulate material having a particle size in the range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm;
c) agitating the mixture obtained in step b) with a gas whereby the particle size of the biomass is reduced to 0.1 to 3 mm;
d) subjecting the biomass particles obtained in step c) to enzymatic conversion.
29 . A process for preparing a bioliquid from a solid biomass material, said process comprising the steps of:
a) providing the solid biomass in the from of particles having a particle size of greater than 5 mm;
b) mixing the biomass particles of step a) with an inorganic particulate material having a particle size in the range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm;
c) agitating the mixture obtained in step b) with a gas whereby the particle size of the biomass is reduced to 0.1 to 3 mm;
d) subjecting the biomass particles obtained in step c) to thermal conversion.
30 . A process for preparing a bioliquid from a solid biomass material, said process comprising the steps of:
a) providing the solid biomass in the from of particles having a particle size of greater than 5 mm;
b) mixing the biomass particles of step a) with an inorganic particulate material having a particle size in the range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm;
c) agitating the mixture obtained in step b) with a gas whereby the particle size of the biomass is reduced to 0.1 to 3 mm;
d) subjecting the biomass particles obtained in step c) to a hydrothermal conversion.
31 . A process for preparing a bioliquid from a solid biomass material, said process comprising the steps of:
a) providing the solid biomass in the from of particles having a particle size of greater than 5 mm;
b) mixing the biomass particles of step a) with an inorganic particulate material having a particle size in the range of 0.05 mm to 5 mm;
c) agitating the mixture obtained in step b) with a gas whereby the particle size of the biomass is reduced to 0.1 to 3 mm;
d) subjecting the biomass particles obtained in step c) to catalytic conversion.
32 . The process of claim 31 , whereby step d) is performed in a reductive atmosphere.