IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i5p1113-d1598888.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Valorization of Forest Biomass Through Pyrolysis: A Study on the Energy Potential of Wood Tars

Author

Listed:
  • Jakub Brózdowski

    (Department of Chemical Wood Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60637 Poznan, Poland)

  • Magdalena Witczak

    (Łukasiewicz Research Network—Poznań Institute of Technology, 61755 Poznan, Poland)

  • Klaudia Sikorska

    (Łukasiewicz Research Network—Poznań Institute of Technology, 61755 Poznan, Poland)

  • Izabela Ratajczak

    (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60637 Poznan, Poland)

  • Magdalena Woźniak

    (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60637 Poznan, Poland)

  • Monika Bartkowiak

    (Department of Chemical Wood Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60637 Poznan, Poland)

  • Grzegorz Cofta

    (Department of Chemical Wood Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60637 Poznan, Poland)

  • Grażyna B. Dąbrowska

    (Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 87100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Magdalena Zborowska

    (Department of Chemical Wood Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60637 Poznan, Poland)

Abstract

Forest biomass is a renewable source of environmentally friendly material—wood. However, wood processing generates large amounts of by-products, including branches. These byproducts are often used as firewood; however, they can be used much more effectively. In this study, the pyrolysis of two woods, namely birch and pine, was proposed. The liquid products of pyrolysis were studied by FTIR spectroscopy, and the heating value of these products was evaluated. In order to find the optimal pyrolysis temperature from the point of view of the calorific value of the product, the process was carried out at four temperatures: 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C. The liquid product yielded three fractions, from which two were analyzed, namely the dense tar fraction and light liquid fraction. FTIR analysis results clearly demonstrated that samples from different fractions differ from one another, yet the results within the same fraction are remarkably similar. The tar fraction was characterized with a higher gross calorific value between 42 to 50 MJ/kg, while the liquid fraction gross calorific value was between 29 and 39 MJ/kg; in general, pine wood yielded products with higher calorific values. The pyrolysis of small wood industry by-products is an interesting method of utilization, yielding not only a liquid product with good calorific properties, but also a solid product, namely biochar, which may be used in carbon storage or used as a soil amendment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jakub Brózdowski & Magdalena Witczak & Klaudia Sikorska & Izabela Ratajczak & Magdalena Woźniak & Monika Bartkowiak & Grzegorz Cofta & Grażyna B. Dąbrowska & Magdalena Zborowska, 2025. "Valorization of Forest Biomass Through Pyrolysis: A Study on the Energy Potential of Wood Tars," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-11, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:5:p:1113-:d:1598888
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/5/1113/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/5/1113/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Debora Mignogna & Márta Szabó & Paolo Ceci & Pasquale Avino, 2024. "Biomass Energy and Biofuels: Perspective, Potentials, and Challenges in the Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-33, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Roberto C. Beber & Camila d. S. Turini & Vinicius C. Beber & Roberta M. Nogueira & Evaldo M. Pires, 2025. "Effect of Plant Part and Age on the Proximate, Chemical, and Elemental Characteristics of Elephant Grass Cultivar BRS Capiaçu for Combustion-Based Sustainable Bioenergy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-21, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:5:p:1113-:d:1598888. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.