IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i5p1945-d1598961.html

New Strategies for Sustainable Biofuel Production: Pyrolytic Poly-Generation of Biomass

Author

Listed:
  • Fanbin Meng

    (College of Resource and Environment, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang 233100, China)

  • Donghai Wang

    (Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA)

Abstract

Biomass serves as a promising renewable and sustainable feedstock for energy production through thermochemical conversion. It can be transformed into sustainable biofuels by means of pyrolysis. Among these methods, the pyrolytic poly-generation of biomass, a novel biomass thermal conversion technology, can concurrently produce three valuable products, namely biochar, bio-oil, and combustible gas, without generating any byproducts. In contrast, conventional thermal conversion processes, such as carbonization for biochar, liquefaction for bio-oil, gasification for syngas, and combustion for heat, only yield single products, have limited efficiency, and give rise to byproducts. Clearly, pyrolytic poly-generation holds significant advantages over conventional thermal conversion processes. Nevertheless, the pyrolytic poly-generation process and its products are remarkably influenced by numerous factors, including the raw biomass properties, pretreatment methods, operating parameters, and catalysts. This article reviews the processing parameters and technology for biomass pyrolytic poly-generation, and also explores future research areas, with the aim of identifying research gaps and promoting its industrial implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Fanbin Meng & Donghai Wang, 2025. "New Strategies for Sustainable Biofuel Production: Pyrolytic Poly-Generation of Biomass," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-19, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:5:p:1945-:d:1598961
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/5/1945/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/5/1945/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gao, Ying & Wang, Xianhua & Chen, Yingquan & Li, Pan & Liu, Huihui & Chen, Hanping, 2017. "Pyrolysis of rapeseed stalk: Influence of temperature on product characteristics and economic costs," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 482-491.
    2. Ozbay, Nurgul & Yargic, Adife Seyda & Yarbay Sahin, Rahmiye Zerrin & Yaman, Elif, 2019. "Valorization of banana peel waste via in-situ catalytic pyrolysis using Al-Modified SBA-15," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 633-646.
    3. Simona Domazetovska & Vladimir Strezov & Risto V. Filkoski & Tao Kan, 2023. "Exploring the Potential of Biomass Pyrolysis for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Production: A Comparative Study of Corn Cob, Vine Rod, and Sunflower," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-14, September.
    4. He, Xinyan & Liu, Zhaoxia & Niu, Wenjuan & Yang, Li & Zhou, Tan & Qin, Di & Niu, Zhiyou & Yuan, Qiaoxia, 2018. "Effects of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of gas and biochar obtained from pyrolysis of crop residues," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 746-756.
    5. Meng, Fanbin & Wang, Donghai, 2020. "Effects of vacuum freeze drying pretreatment on biomass and biochar properties," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Yuan, Hongyou & Wu, Shubin & Yin, Xiuli & Huang, Yanqin & Guo, Daliang & Wu, Chuangzhi, 2018. "Adjustment of biomass product gas to raise H2/CO ratio and remove tar over sodium titanate catalysts," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 288-298.
    7. Nawaz, Ahmad & Razzak, Shaikh Abdur, 2024. "Co-pyrolysis of biomass and different plastic waste to reduce hazardous waste and subsequent production of energy products: A review on advancement, synergies, and future prospects," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    8. Kim, Seonghun & Kim, Chul Ho, 2013. "Bioethanol production using the sequential acid/alkali-pretreated empty palm fruit bunch fiber," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 150-155.
    9. Du, Jinlong & Shen, Tianhao & Hu, Jianhang & Zhang, Fengxia & Yang, Shiliang & Liu, Huili & Wang, Hua, 2023. "Study on thermochemical conversion of triglyceride biomass catalyzed by biochar catalyst," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    10. Bai, Xiaopeng & Wang, Guanghui & Zhu, Zheng & Cai, Chen & Wang, Zhiqin & Wang, Decheng, 2020. "Investigation of improving the yields and qualities of pyrolysis products with combination rod-milled and torrefaction pretreatment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 446-453.
    11. Ameri, Billal & Hanini, Salah & Boumahdi, Mouloud, 2020. "Influence of drying methods on the thermodynamic parameters, effective moisture diffusion and drying rate of wastewater sewage sludge," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 1107-1119.
    12. Zhang, Zhiping & Tahir, Nadeem & Li, Yameng & Zhang, Tian & Zhu, Shengnan & Zhang, Quanguo, 2019. "Tailoring of structural and optical parameters of corncobs through ball milling pretreatment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 298-304.
    13. Wang, Wenliang & Li, Xinping & Ye, Dan & Cai, LiPing & Shi, Sheldon Q., 2018. "Catalytic pyrolysis of larch sawdust for phenol-rich bio-oil using different catalysts," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 146-152.
    14. Huang, Yu-Fong & Kuan, Wen-Hui & Chang, Chun-Yuan, 2018. "Effects of particle size, pretreatment, and catalysis on microwave pyrolysis of corn stover," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 696-703.
    15. Liu, Guicai & Liao, Yanfen & Wu, Yuting & Ma, Xiaoqian, 2018. "Synthesis gas production from microalgae gasification in the presence of Fe2O3 oxygen carrier and CaO additive," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 955-965.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Santhappan, Joseph Sekhar & Narasimman, Kalaiselvan & Winsly, Beno Wincy & Varghese, Alfred Franklin & Mathimani, Thangavel, 2025. "A critical evaluation of the progression in industrial waste utilization to achieve energy transition targets: technological obstacles, carbon footprint reduction, and life cycle assessment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).

    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. Andrew N. Amenaghawon & Chinedu L. Anyalewechi & Charity O. Okieimen & Heri Septya Kusuma, 2021. "Biomass pyrolysis technologies for value-added products: a state-of-the-art review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 14324-14378, October.
    2. Md Said, Mohamad Syazarudin & Azni, Atiyyah Ameenah & Wan Ab Karim Ghani, Wan Azlina & Idris, Azni & Ja'afar, Mohamad Fakri Zaky & Mohd Salleh, Mohamad Amran, 2022. "Production of biochar from microwave pyrolysis of empty fruit bunch in an alumina susceptor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    3. Xia, Sunwen & Yang, Haiping & Lu, Wang & Cai, Ning & Xiao, Haoyu & Chen, Xu & Chen, Yingquan & Wang, Xianhua & Wang, Shurong & Wu, Peng & Chen, Hanping, 2022. "Fe–Co based synergistic catalytic graphitization of biomass: Influence of the catalyst type and the pyrolytic temperature," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    4. Das, Bikashbindu & Mohanty, Kaustubha, 2019. "A review on advances in sustainable energy production through various catalytic processes by using catalysts derived from waste red mud," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 1791-1811.
    5. Meng, Fanbin & Wang, Donghai, 2020. "Effects of vacuum freeze drying pretreatment on biomass and biochar properties," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Dong, Ruihan & Tang, Ziyue & Chen, Yingquan & Wang, Xianhua & Cheng, Wei & Hu, Qiang & Pang, Shusheng & Yang, Haiping & Chen, Hanping, 2025. "Catalytic pyrolysis of microalgae using nitrogen-rich algae-based modified biochar for monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    7. Daimary, Niran & Boruah, Pankaj & Eldiehy, Khalifa S.H. & Pegu, Tapan & Bardhan, Pritam & Bora, Utpal & Mandal, Manabendra & Deka, Dhanapati, 2022. "Musa acuminata peel: A bioresource for bio-oil and by-product utilization as a sustainable source of renewable green catalyst for biodiesel production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 450-462.
    8. Huang, Shengxiong & Lei, Can & Qin, Jie & Yi, Cheng & Chen, Tao & Yao, Lingling & Li, Bo & Wen, Yujiao & Zhou, Zhi & Xia, Mao, 2022. "Properties, kinetics and pyrolysis products distribution of oxidative torrefied camellia shell in different oxygen concentration," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    9. Liu, Hongyu & Tang, Yuting & Tang, Jiehong & Yue, Wenchang & Chen, Weilong & Chen, Xinfei & Ma, Xiaoqian, 2026. "Utilizing steel slag in sorption-enhanced biomass gasification: A pathway to syngas production with integrated CO2 capture," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 402(PB).
    10. Fatiha Berroug & Yassir Bellaziz & Zakaria Tagnamas & Younes Bahammou & Hamza Faraji & El Houssayne Bougayr & Naaila Ouazzani, 2024. "Drying Performance of a Combined Solar Greenhouse Dryer of Sewage Sludge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-20, November.
    11. Prajapati, Sonalben & Jasani, Isha & Gautam, Shina, 2025. "Chemical and physical insights into castor shell pyrolysis: Composition, blending, and utilization perspectives," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    12. Zhao, Ming & Memon, Muhammad Zaki & Ji, Guozhao & Yang, Xiaoxiao & Vuppaladadiyam, Arun K. & Song, Yinqiang & Raheem, Abdul & Li, Jinhui & Wang, Wei & Zhou, Hui, 2020. "Alkali metal bifunctional catalyst-sorbents enabled biomass pyrolysis for enhanced hydrogen production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 168-175.
    13. Do, Truong Xuan & Lim, Young-il, 2016. "Techno-economic comparison of three energy conversion pathways from empty fruit bunches," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 307-318.
    14. Song, Weiming & Zhou, Jianan & Li, Yujie & Yang, Jian & Cheng, Rijin, 2021. "New technology for producing high-quality combustible gas by high-temperature reaction of dust-removal coke powder in mixed atmosphere," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    15. Joaquim Augusto Pinto Rodrigues & Natália Aguiar Brittes Tinoco Pinto & Leonardo Amaral dos Santos Barroso Leite & Amaro Olímpio Pereira, 2024. "Production of Bio-Oil via Pyrolysis of Banana Peel and Tire Waste for Energy Utilization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-24, December.
    16. Ma, Junfang & Liu, Jiaxun & Jiang, Xiumin & Zhang, Hai, 2021. "A two-dimensional distributed activation energy model for pyrolysis of solid fuels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    17. Makarfi Isa, Yusuf & Ganda, Elvis Tinashe, 2018. "Bio-oil as a potential source of petroleum range fuels," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 69-75.
    18. Zou, Lingeng & Liu, Ye & Yu, Jianlin, 2023. "Energy, exergy and economic evaluation of a solar enhanced ejector expansion heat pump cycle," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    19. Kuznetsov, G.V. & Syrodoy, S.V. & Nigay, N.A. & Maksimov, V.I. & Gutareva, N.Yu., 2021. "Features of the processes of heat and mass transfer when drying a large thickness layer of wood biomass," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 498-511.
    20. Aragón-Briceño, C.I. & Pozarlik, A.K. & Bramer, E.A. & Niedzwiecki, Lukasz & Pawlak-Kruczek, H. & Brem, G., 2021. "Hydrothermal carbonization of wet biomass from nitrogen and phosphorus approach: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 401-415.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:5:p:1945-:d:1598961. 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 The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (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.