Production of bio-renewable carbon “biocoke” and coproduces from pyrolysis oils derived from agricultural residues

This project pertains to the development and production of biorenewable carbon (or biocoke) from biomass sources with comparable quality that can replace that sourced from petroleum (petroleum coke or petcoke) typically employed as anodes or carbon sources in aluminum and steelmaking processes. The Phase I effort will adopt and follow the technology first developed and patented at the USDA-ARS, whereby, biomass sourced from agricultural residues such as corn stover, is thermally liquified in the absence of oxygen (pyrolysis), and the liquid subjected to conventional petrochemical refinery processes such as coking and distillation to produce biocoke precursors (main product) and some valuable co-product chemicals such as phenol and cresol. The research goal is to improve and seek viable pathways to commercialization in a Phase II effort to follow. The successful outcome of this Phase I effort will provide specific answers such as bio-coke yield and quality under operational conditions, distillate recycling, and the efficacy of the solvent used in distillate extraction. These results will provide the necessary data needed for engineering economics of scale and how the chemical co-products can improve the circular economy of the commercial bio-coke application.