바이오매스 기반 열화학적 전환 공정에서의 이산화탄소 활용 = Carbon Dioxide Utilization in the Thermo-chemical Process of Biomass

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Harnessing biomass as an initial feedstock for energy recovery has been considered as a viable means to mitigate global climate change triggered by anthropogenic carbon input and to resolve energy security issue attributed to our inevitable dependence on fossil fuel. Despite numerous merits associated with utilizing biomass as an initial feedstock for energy recovery, transforming biomass into biofuel has been considered as very challenging due to its heterogeneous structural matrix as well as technical incompleteness. In this respect, the thermo-chemical process (i.e., pyrolysis and gasification) can be a viable options for converting biomass into energy since the thermo-chemical process is not sensitive to the heterogenous structural matrix of biomass and is suitable for mass production. In addition, recent recognition of biochar as a means of the principle strategy for carbon storage and capture has drawn a great deal of attention from our social, scientific and engineering community. In order to achieve the ultimate carbon management, utilizing carbon dioxide as reaction medium and/or an initial feedstock is highly desirable. Thus, this study placed great emphasis on the possible utilization of carbon dioxide in the thermo-chemical process. This study experimentally evidenced that the genuine effects of carbon dioxide led to the enhanced generation of synthetic gas (i.e., H2 and CO) via the enhanced thermal cracking of volatile organic compouds (VOCs) evoleved from thermolysis of biomass and the direct reaction between carbon dioxide and VOCs. The identified influence of carbon dioxide in the thermo-chemical process led to the subsequent reduction of condensable hydrocarbons (e.g., tar) using VOCs as the substrate for synthetic gas. Moreover, these genuine influences of carbon dioxide led to the modification of physico-chemical properties of biochar. Thus, this study will provide the futuristic optimism on using carbon dioxide in the thermo-chemical process since the identified mechanistic influence of carbon dioxide can be applicable in various research and industrial fields.