Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis: Pyrolysis is a technology developed during World War II to convert coal into liquid and gaseous fuels. The process involves the heating of feedstock to temperatures in excess of 400 °C in the absence of oxygen, and then rapidly cooling the resultant mixture of gas and biochar. Through some simple chemistry, a liquid fuel known as bio-oil can be produced. Bio-oil is a combustible fuel product, that can be upgraded for power generation or use as a low-grade transportation fuel. Unlike combustion, pyrolysis is a carbon-negative process, as all carbon that would be released as CO2 is captured as carbon char.
Biomass Pyrolysis: Re:char is focused on adapting the time-tested pyrolysis process for low-cost, carbon-negative conversion of biomass into liquid fuel and char. Agricultural wastes represent the ideal feedstock for biomass pyrolysis, as they are both abundant and often carry zero or negative value. By pyrolyzing agricultural waste, we can decouple the cycle of CO2 emissions while simultaneously producing valuable fuel products.
Pyrolysis and Distributed Generation: Pyrolysis can be used to generate bio-oil, a low-grade hydrocarbon fuel. With some simple upgrading steps, this oil can be converted to a viable substitute for heating oil, bunker fuel, and low-grade diesel. Bio-oil has the potential to reduce demand on fossil fuels for heating, small-scale energy generation, and powering agricultural equipment.
