Comparison of Product Distribution, Content and Fermentability of Biomass in a Hybrid Thermochemical/Biological Processing Platform

Thermochemical processing is a promising method for the rapid depolymerization of biomass into fermentable sugar and lignin monomers. This study investigated different types biomass, including switchgrass, corn stover, red oak, hybrid poplar, and loblolly pine. The contents of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, nitrogen, phosphors, sulphur, as well as metal elements in these biomasses were determined. The yields of pyrolytic bio-oil, bio-char, and bio-gas from these biomasses were compared. The profile of sugar and contaminants in the obtained pyrolytic sugar solution was analyzed, and a variety of contaminating compounds were identified and quantified, but many others were not identified. The fermentability of pyrolytic sugars derived from these biomasses were investigated. It is also revealed that furans are the largest portion of contaminants, and their concentrations in the pyrolytic sugar are more than 50% of the total identified contaminants, for all the investigated biomasses. The second largest portions of contaminants are aromatic compounds. This work provides insight into the selection of biomass types for biorefinery models and other analyses.