Pyrolysis oils are characterized by a high density and a viscosity which can vary as a function, inter alia, of the starting biomass. As they are acids and thus corrosive, their use requires the employment of specific corrosion-resistant materials, such as stainless steel, high density polyethylene, propylene…
Furthermore, pyrolysis oils are unstable chemically and thermally. The chemical instability of pyrolysis oils is reflected by the change over time in their physicochemical properties (viscosity, water content, solids content, . . . ), which can result in separation into two phases. The thermal instability of pyrolysis oils is reflected by a very rapid change in their properties when they are heated to temperatures greater than 80° C. Due to this instability, these products cannot be upgraded in a refinery in their crude form, except in a combustion application with a few modifications to current plants. For any other application in a refinery, it appears necessary to stabilize pyrolysis oils before use, for example by removing or converting the most reactive entities.
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