Supercritical Extraction of Biomass-A Green and Sustainable Method to Control the Pyrolysis Product Distribution

This research demonstrates that supercritical extraction of the biomass has a remarkable and complex influence on Scots pine tree fractions changing the surface concentration of water, lipids, and metals simultaneously. Surprisingly, this surface composition modification makes a considerable impact on the pyrolysis of the bulk biomass mechanism, leading to the alternation of the volatile and inorganic matter composition. The unique combination of time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry analysis and utilization of pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data on the thermal behavior of woody biomass demonstrates, for the first time, the extraordinary influence of surface adsorbed metals on the composition of pyrolysis products. ScCO2 could extract the surface metals in the form of fatty acid salts, demonstrating a sustainable and environmentally friendly pretreatment method for controlling the pyrolysis products.

Automated summary

Supercritical extraction of biomass has a significant impact on the composition of Scots pine tree fractions, altering the surface concentration of water, lipids, and metals which subsequently influences the pyrolysis composition. The study demonstrates the remarkable influence of surface adsorbed metals on the pyrolysis products' composition, providing insights for a sustainable pretreatment method using ScCO2.