The Chemical Engineering Department, in conjunction with the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Departments at Mississippi State University, has designed a pyrolysis process to convert woody biomass into a “Bio-Oil” for use as a preservative in the lumber treatment industry. Historically, CCA (a mixture of copper, chromium, and arsenic) has been used as a wood preservative, but it has obvious toxic characteristics and its use has been banned in the US. Our Bio-Oil has shown promise as a natural alternative to this preservative. In preparation for full-scale production, a cradle-to-grave analysis has been performed on the lab-scale pyrolysis unit, involving feedstock and construction materials as well as storage and disposal issues. This paper presents the potential environmental and economic impacts of this process through Life Cycle Analysis as guided by NREL and EPA.

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