Patent ID: 8574404

Claim:
A method of producing low oxygen content pyrolysis liquid, while minimizing the production of gas, from the pyrolysis of biomass comprising: (a) calcining CaCO 3 bearing granular material at a temperature greater than about 900° C. (b) cooling the calcined CaCO 3 bearing granular material from greater than about 900° C. down to the desired pyrolysis temperature (c) rapidly mixing the calcined CaCO 3 bearing granular material at the desired pyrolysis temperature with biomass feedstock so that: 1) heat from the calcined CaCO 3 bearing granular material causes fast pyrolysis of the biomass feedstock 2) CaO in the calcined CaCO 3 bearing granular material absorbs CO 2 from the pyrolysis products (d) drawing the gaseous and suspended particulate pyrolysis products out of the pyrolysis chamber and separating them into a particulate portion composed primarily of char and a clean gas portion (e) cooling the clean gas portion, thereby condensing a liquid fraction and leaving a non-condensing gas fraction (f) removing the CaCO 3 bearing granular material and pyrolysis ash from the pyrolysis chamber, separating them, and returning the CaCO 3 bearing granular material to the calcining step.