Insights on the acetic acid pretreatment of wheat straw: Changes induced in the biomass properties and benefits for the bio-oil production by pyrolysis

This work discloses how the pretreatment of wheat straw with acetic acid (AA) solutions modifies the biomass composition, strongly affecting the pyrolysis product distribution. AA in diluted solutions is a renewable and ecofriendly reagent, being also one of the main components of the pyrolysis bio-oil* (water-free basis). In comparison with water and diluted ammonia treatments, AA washing leads to a higher removal degree of alkali and alkaline-earth elements (AAEMs) from the biomass ash. In addition, the AA pretreatment reduces the content of char and gas precursors, as is the case of soluble lignin and extractives. Consequently, the bio-oil* yield is drastically increased up to -53 wt% during the pyrolysis of the AA washed wheat straw, being much higher than the value obtained for the raw biomass (-35 wt%). Likewise, the bio-oil* composition is highly improved by the pretreatment with AA, dramatically increasing the concentration and yield of levoglucosan, which is a valuable precursor to produce both advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals. In contrast, the opposite occurs during the pyrolysis of the extracted matter samples, recovered from the washing solutions, since its high content of AAEMs, lignin and extractives promotes the formation of char and gases in the detriment of the bio-oil fraction. Based on a preliminary techno-economic analysis, it is concluded that pretreatment with AA solutions may improve significantly the economic performance of the wheat straw pyrolysis process. This is due to the increased incomes coming from the higher yield of both bio-oil* and levoglucosan that largely compensate the additional capital and fresh AA costs.

Automated summary

This study reveals how pretreatment of wheat straw with acetic acid solutions affects the biomass composition and pyrolysis product distribution. Acetic acid washing effectively removes alkali and alkaline-earth elements from the biomass ash and reduces the content of char and gas precursors, leading to a significantly increased yield and concentration of bio-oil*. The pretreatment also promotes the production of levoglucosan, a valuable precursor for biofuels and bio-based chemicals.