Description:

Title: Thermal Depolymerization of Cellulose and Lignin: The Role of Oligomeric Intermediate products.

Dr. Manuel Garcia-Perez
Washington State University

Abstract
Fast pyrolysis is a thermochemical process able to covert more than 70 wt. % of ligno-cellulosic materials into bio-oil. This oil can be further upgraded or refined for electricity, transportation fuels and chemicals production. Most of the fast pyrolysis reaction models reported in the literature suggest that monomeric products are directly produced from the depolymerization of biomass constituents (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and that these monomeric molecules recombine after condensation to form oligomers. In our presentation we will show experimental evidences supporting a new description of fast pyrolysis reactions in which cellulose and lignin are first depolymerized to form a liquid intermediate of heavy oligomeric products. The acidic nature of this liquid intermediate accelerates dehydration, polycondensation and further depolymerization. These heavy molecules are removed from the liquid intermediate by micro-explosions caused by the bursting of pyrolytic vapor bubbles. In our presentation we will discuss the importance of these results to understand the underlying processes at all relevant scales, ranging from the chemistry of cell wall deconstruction to optimization of pyrolysis factories, in order to produce better quality oils for targeted uses.

Dr. Manuel Garcia-Perez is an Associate Professor in Biological Systems Engineering at WSU. For the last 15 years, he has worked on projects related to the conversion of forest and agricultural biomass into bio-fuels and chemicals, mostly via thermochemical conversion- using heat to break natural polymers into usable molecules and char. Dr. Garcia-Perez has made contributions to the understanding of thermochemical reactions of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin as well as on the characterization and uses for crude bio-oils. Currently, he is working on the development of more selective pyrolysis reactors and new concepts to refine production of pyrolysis oils and engineered carbonaceous materials. Dr. Garcia-Perez is also very active in the study of ways to integrate biomass conversion technologies into existing infrastructure (e.g. pulp and paper mills, petroleum refineries, corn ethanol mills, sugar cane mills) to build bio-refineries that produce fuels and chemicals.Award in 2012, the 2013 Biotechnology and Bioengineering Daniel I.C. Wang Award, the Jay Bailey Young Investigator Award in Metabolic Engineering in 2014, the 2014 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, 2015 Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology Young Investigator Award, and 2016 ACS BIOT Young Investigator Award.