Molecular mechanisms of wood pyrolysis as composite material

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24380095
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Wood science
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Kawamoto Haruo 京都大学, エネルギー科学研究科, 准教授 (80224864)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Saka Shiro 京都大学, 大学院エネルギー科学研究科, 教授 (50205697)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 木材 / 木質バイオマス / 熱分解 / 分子機構 / 相互作用 / バイオリファイナリー / バイオケミカルス / バイオ燃料

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in wood pyrolysis would provide insights into the upgrading of various pyrolysis-based technologies, which include carbonization, gasification and fast pyrolysis. In this project, we studied the molecular mechanisms of wood pyrolysis under the focus of heterogeneity of cellulose and cell wall, which consists of cellulose crystallites surrounded by lignin-hemicellulose matrix. As a result, we clarified the roles of reducing ends in cellulose pyrolysis, radical chain mechanisms in lignin pyrolysis, interactions between lignin and hemicellulose/cellulose, gas-forming mechanisms from cellulose and so on.

Free Research Field

木材科学