3. Pyrolysis
In its simplest form, pyrolysis represents heating the biomass to drive off the volatile matter and leaving behind the charcoal. This process has doubled the energy density of the original material because charcoal, which is half the weight of the original biomass, contains the same amount of energy, making the fuel more transportable. The charcoal also burns at a much higher temperature than the original biomass, making it more useful for manufacturing processes. More sophisticated pyrolysis techniques are developed recently to collect volatiles that are otherwise lost to the system. The collected volatiles produce a gas which is rich in hydrogen (a potential fuel) and carbon monoxide. These compounds are synthesized into methane, methanol, and other hydrocarbons.The steps involved in this process are illustrated in Figure 3 [7].