Abstract:
Methods for producing bio-oil from a feedstock (e.g., guayule bagasse and/or guayule leaves), involving (1) pyrolyzing the feedstock in an inert atmosphere in a reactor to produce bio-oil, bio-char and non-condensable gases; (2) recycling about 10 to about 99% of the non-condensable gases to the reactor to produce deoxygenated bio-oil; wherein the method is conducted in the absence of oxygen and wherein said method does not utilize externally added catalysts. Also disclosed are bio-oils produced from such methods. Additionally, the methods further involving (a) first distilling the bio-oil to produce distillates and then reacting the distillates in a hydrodeoxygenation reactor in a chemically reductive atmosphere (e.g., hydrogen environment to produce hydrocarbons, water, and non-condensable gases or (b) reacting the bio-oil after centrifugation in a hydrodeoxygenation reactor in a chemically reductive atmosphere (e.g., hydrogen environment to produce hydrocarbons, water and non-condensable gases, and then distilling to produce distilled water and distilled hydrocarbons; and distilled hydrocarbons produced from such methods.