Abstract

Water soluble and insoluble fractions of tannins obtained from radiata pine bark were pyrolyzed at the bench-scale in a continuous entrained flow pyrolysis reactor at 500 degrees C. The tannin fractions were pre-treated with both calcium hydroxide and calcium formate to assist in continuous feeding and promote deoxygenation during pyrolysis. Oil yields and qualitative GC-MS were used to characterize the oil products. Pre-treatment assisted in continuous feeding, ameliorating some issues associated with the thermoplastic properties of tannins. A comparison of the pyrolysis of tannins with and without pretreatment is presented. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.