Title: GC Analysis of Volatiles and Other Products from Biomass Torrefaction Process
Abstract: Gas chromatography (GC) is a common method used to analyze gases produced during various chemical processes. Torrefaction, for example, is a method for pretreating biomass to make it more suitable for bioenergy applications that uses GC to characterize products formed during the process. During torrefaction, biomass is heated in an inert environment to temperatures ranging between 200–300°C. Torrefaction causes biomass to lose low-energy condensables (liquids) and non-condensable volatiles, initially in gas form, thereby making biomass more energy dense.