o test the viability of converting sawdust to bio-oil, an experimental fluidized-bed reactor was designed,constructed, and operated. The design was for a sawdust feed rate of 100 g/h at a temperature of 500 °C. The gas residence timein the reactor was less than 1 s to achieve fast pyrolysis. Experimental repeatability and operational stability were evaluated, andthe yields of various products, including char and bio-oil, were determined. Results showed a consistent bio-oil yield of about62%. Bio-oil samples from the liquid collection system were taken and examined separately using gas chromatography/massspectrometry (GC/MS). Detectable components with a sizable concentration belonged to the acid, ketone, and phenol groups.The heavier fraction of bio-oil had a lower water content and higher percentage of phenolic compounds. Elemental analyses ofthe bio-oils and chars were determined and compared to that of the sawdust. A low ash content in the produced bio-oils provedthat the char separation system was very efficient. The heating value of the produced char, the byproduct of pyrolysis, was high,and therefore, it has potential for use as a source of process heat. The composition of the non-condensable gas produced wascharacterized by a micro-gas chromatograph. Results prove that fast pyrolysis is a promising technique to convert sawdust intoliquid that can be more easily transported than low-density biomass