Thermal Uses and Properties of Carbohydrates and Lignins

Thermal Uses and Properties of Carbohydrates and Lignins contains the proceedings of the Symposium on Thermal Uses and Properties of Carbohydrates and Lignins, held during the 172nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco, California, in September 1976. Contributors focus on thermal uses and properties of carbohydrates and lignins and discuss processes ranging from combustion and pyrolysis to thermal degradation and decomposition, gasification, and catalytic conversion. This text is comprised of 17 chapters; the first of which introduces the reader to the relationship between the chemical composition, combustion, heat release, and pyrolysis of cellulosic materials. The chapters that follow explore the kinetics of solid-phase cellulose pyrolysis; flash pyrolysis of holocellulose from loblolly pine bark; and the decomposition products of Douglas fir under varying conditions. The influence of crystallinity on the thermal properties of cellulose; energy considerations in the pyrolysis-gasification-combustion process; and the catalytic conversion of carbohydrates to synthesis gas are also considered. This book highlights the diversity and complexity of uses for renewable resources, as well as the problem of turning cellulose and lignin into useful products for society. At one level, the chapters present fundamental research; at another they consider specific processes for resource utilization. This book will be of interest to professionals working in fields such as chemistry, forestry, and agriculture.