Pyrolysis of Miscanthus: Developing the mass balance of a biorefinery through experimental tests in an auger reactor

Miscanthus is a perennial grass that can be cultivated on marginal lands and used in multiple biobased applications. Through pyrolysis, it can be converted to bio-oil, biochar, and non-condensable gases. This study presents the mass balance and characterization results of Miscanthus pyrolysis in an auger reactor. The response surface methodology was used to identify, from empirical experiments, the optimal process parameters for producing bio-crude oil with the least water content. A response surface model was developed using a Box-Behnken design, allowing to study the impact of a range of pyrolysis temperature (425–575 °C), biomass residence time (80–140 s) and carrier gas flowrate (2–7 Lnitrogen min−1). Results confirmed that the selected approach allowed identifying pyrolysis parameters for producing bio-crude oil with minimal water content. Moreover, the mass balance of the pyrolysis process was established, providing reliable foreground data to be used in life cycle and techno-economic assessments. [Display omitted] •Bio-oil production from pyrolysis of Miscanthus in an auger reactor was studied.•Response surface methodology was used for modelling bio-oil synthesis.•Temperature, biomass residence time and N2 flow significantly affected water content.•Optimum conditions: 510 °C temperature, 81 s residence time and 5.1 L min−1 N2 flow.•The mass balance of a biorefinery processing 1000 kg of Miscanthus was extrapolated.