The main aim of this study was to investigate the potential of wood charcoal on removing furan compounds (5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), furfural) known as fermentation inhibitors in sugar hydrolysates obtained from supercritical water treatment of lignocellulosic biomass. For this aim, model hydrolysate was prepared, and removal rates of sugars or furan compounds depending on wood charcoal concentration and treatment time were calculated and analyzed in comparison with the case of activated carbon. 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12% (w/v) of wood charcoal or activated

Catalytic rapid pyrolysis ofQuercus variabilis, a Korean native tree species, was carried out using Py-GC/MS. Mesoporous MFI, which has both nanopores and micropores, and three nanoporous materials, Al-MCM-41, Al-SBA-15, andγ-Al2O3, were used as the catalyst. The acid sites of mesoporous MFI were strong Brønsted acid sites, whereas those of nanoporous materials were mostly weak acid sites. The composition of the product bio-oil varied greatly depending on the acid characteristics of the catalyst used. Phenolics were the most abundant species in the bio-oil, followed by acids and furanics, obtained over Al-MCM-41 or Al-SBA-15 with weak acid sites, whereas aromatics were the most abundant species produced over mesoporous MFI with strong acid sites, followed by phenolics. Aromatics, phenolics, and furanics are all important chemicals contributing to the improvement of bio-oil quality.

Ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of a Korean native oak tree over microporous zeolites (HZSM-5, HBeta, and HY) was performed by using a fixed bed reactor. The effect of sample to catalyst ratio and reaction temperature was also investigated to optimize production conditions of high quality bio-oil. Among three catalysts, HZSM-5 showed the highest aromatic formation due to its proper pore size and strong acidity. Although HY and HBeta also showed the catalytic activity, they produced larger amounts of coke due to their larger pore size. The smaller ratio of the sample to the catalyst and higher reaction temperature were also required to maximize the yields of aromatic hydrocarbons via the catalytic pyrolysis of oak tree over HZSM-5.

This study was conducted into combustion characteristics and gases generated by the combustion of charcoal and agglomerated charcoal distributed in the domestic using a combustion chamber based on the average space per crater of a charcoal-grilled restaurant in South Korea. Each of the three types of charcoals and agglomerated wood charcoals was analyzed for fuel and combustion characteristics. In addition, the concentration changes of CO, CO 2 , NO x , and O 2 were measured for 20 minutes depending on ventilation. As a result, CO yield without ventilation was measured in the range of 1390 to 4703 ppm, and CO yield with ventilation decreases about 29.8% to 57.4%. CO 2 yield without ventilation was measured in the range of 1.34% to 2.42%, and CO 2 yield was about 44.1% to 53.6% when the emission was more than about 1.5% at 10 minutes. The NOx yield was divided into two cases where the NO x yield was continuously increased because of incomplete combustion, emitted ranging from 29 ppm to 47 ppm, and where emission was constant after 1 minute in the range of 9 ppm to 18 ppm. The NO x yield with ventilation tends to be similar to the without ventilation, and NO x yield decreases up to 62.5%. Therefore, it could be used for health risk assessment with the simulation of the usage environment of charcoal and agglomerated wood charcoal.

Catalytic pyrolysis experiments were conducted to investigate the possibility of obtaining valuable chemicals from Pinus densiflora, a native Korean tree species occupying 21.4% of the total area under forests in South Korea. Two representative mesoporous catalysts, Al-MCM-41 and Al-MSU-F, as well as hierarchical mesoporous MFI (Meso-MFI) that has both mesopores and micropores, were used as catalysts. Compared to non-catalytic pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis was shown to reduce the fractions of levoglucosan, phenolics, and acids in bio-oil, while increasing the fractions of aromatics, PAHs, and furans. Meso-MFI with strong acid sites showed a high selectivity toward aromatics and PAHs, whereas Al-MCM-41 and Al-MSU-F with weak acid sites exhibited a high selectivity toward furanic compounds. The results of this study indicate that choosing a catalyst with an adequate quantity of acidic sites with the required strength is critical for enhancing the production of desired chemicals from Pinus densiflora.