Light My Fire: Pyrolytic Liquids and 2-Dimensional Gas Chromatography

Coal has been used for nearly as long as mankind has thrived. Over the decades coal has been the main source for heating homes, producing electricity, powering trains and boats and cooking fuel. Although in recent years it hasn’t been in the spotlight, production has increased significantly. In doing so, we must now seek advanced techniques to use it as economically as possible.

Many advances have been made using GC X GC analysis. Advantages of using Comprehensive Two-dimensional Gas Chromatography in relation to D1-GC and GC – GC are discussed in detail in this article. Applying this method can be used on liquids derived from coal such as biomass and bio-oil. Using Mass Spectrometry coupled with GC X GC helps identify unknown compounds which will become increasingly important as fossil fuels are consumed and alternatives are needed.

Biomass is a renewable source of energy that could mitigate pollution of fossil fuels. There is an abundance of agricultural waste which could (along with other value-added chemicals) be used for creating Bio-Oil. Research has been focused on maximizing yields and recovering high-value components of bio-oil that can be upgraded to fuels and chemicals. Continue your education on the Pyrolysis of Biomass and how producing bio-oil (which can then be processed into everyday products) makes fossil fuels…. well, extinct.