Pretreatment of biomass with carbonaceous material

Abstract

A composition of matter is disclosed comprising an intimate mixture of a particulate solid biomass material and a carbonaceous material. The composition is suitable for conversion to a bio-oil in a pyrolysis reaction. The carbonaceous material acts as a reducing agent during the pyrolysis reaction. The composition of matter produces bio-oil in a greater yield than prior art processes. The bio-oil is of improved quality, as evidenced by its low TAN value.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition of matter comprising an intimate mixture of a particulate solid biomass material and a carbonaceous material. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  consisting essentially of the intimate mixture of the particulate solid biomass material and the carbonaceous material. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material is selected from the group consisting of coal, coke, char, tar, bio-oil, municipal solid waste, synthetic polymers, rubber, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material has an oxygen content of less than 20 wt %. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material has a hydrogen content of at least 4 wt %. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material has an oxygen content of less than 10 wt % and a hydrogen content of at least 10 wt %. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material is a solid. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material comprises hard coke. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of matter of  claim 8  wherein the hard coke is deposited on heated carrier particles or catalyst particles 
     
     
         10 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material comprises soft coke. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material comprises rubber. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of matter of  claim 1  wherein the carbonaceous material comprises a by-product or waste product of a biomass conversion process or another industrial process. 
     
     
         13 . A method for preparing an intimate mixture of a particulate solid biomass material and a carbonaceous material comprising the step of mechanically treating the particulate solid biomass material in the presence of the carbonaceous material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the mechanical treatment is selected from milling, grinding, kneading, comminuting, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  whereby a catalyst is added prior to or during the mechanical treatment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the solid particulate biomass material is subjected to a temperature in the range of 30° C. to 300° C. prior to and/or during the mechanical treatment. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the temperature is in the range of from 90° C. to 200° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the temperature is in the range of from 105° C. to 150° C. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the temperature is in the range of from 200° C. to 300° C. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the pressure is above atmospheric pressure.