Meet the editor

Dr. Hassan Al-Haj Ibrahim obtained a PhD in Fuel Engineering from Leeds University, England, in 1973. From 1970 until 1974 he was a Research Fellow at the British Coke Research Association (Leeds University, England) after which he worked at Homs Oil Refinery, Syria (1974–1975). In 1980, he spent an academic year at the Technical University of Aachen, and in 1990 he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and spent an academic year at

the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Al-Haj Ibrahim served as a professor of Petroleum Refining at Al-Baath University, Syria, for forty-two years and has been its Director of Quality Assurance since 2003. In 2017, he joined the Arab University for Science and Technology in Syria as Director of Quality Assurance and a professor in the Chemical Engineering Department.

His publications include research papers on chemical engineering and quality assurance in education, literature and general culture. He has also written several textbooks on petroleum refining, metallurgy, sources of energy, and a dictionary of petroleum terms.

Contents

Introductory Chapter: Pyrolysis *by Hassan Al-Haj Ibrahim*

Biomass: An Alternative Source of Energy *by Krishna Yadav and Sheeja Jagadevan*

Reforming for Hydrogen Production

*by Ratnawulan Ratnawulan and Ahmad Fauzi*

*and Martin Olazar*

Dunite from Sumatera

**Preface III**

**Chapter 1 1**

**Chapter 2 13**

**Chapter 3 29**

**Chapter 4 43**

**Chapter 5 69**

**Chapter 6 91**

*by Udaya Bhaskar Reddy Ragula, Sriram Devanathan and Sindhu Subramanian*

Waste Plastics Valorization by Fast Pyrolysis and in Line Catalytic Steam

Synthesis and Characterization of Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) Nanomaterials of

Influence of Process Parameters on Synthesis of Biochar by Pyrolysis of

Modeling and Optimization of Product Profiles in Biomass Pyrolysis

*by Itsaso Barbarias, Aitor Arregi, Maite Artetxe, Laura Santamaria, Gartzen Lopez, María Cortazar, Maider Amutio, Javier Bilbao* 

A Study on Pyrolysis of Lignin over Mesoporous Materials *by Abdelrahman Mohamed Rabie and Marwa Mohamed Abouelela*

## Contents


Preface

Pyrolysis is an irreversible thermochemical treatment process of materials at elevated temperatures in an inert atmosphere. Pyrolysis is used heavily in the chemical industry to produce many forms of carbon and other chemicals from petroleum, coal, wood, oil shale, biomass or organic waste materials. It is the basis of several methods for producing fuel from biomass. Pyrolysis also is the process of

Many factors contribute to making pyrolysis an attractive and possibly an essential process for converting biomass into bio-fuel or bio-energy. During the last fifty years or so, and almost within living memory, man has witnessed an almost imperceptible change in the energy situation from surplus and cheap availability to scarcity. Renewable sources of energy have to be found in order to meet the continuously rising demand and decreasing energy reserves. Waste products and other low-quality sources of energy and bottom-of-the-barrel residues may no longer be discarded, and pyrolysis is one of the most effective processes for treating and

Books and learned articles on pyrolysis are not few in number, but a new book on pyrolysis is always called for in view of the continuous developments and new processes in this important field of the chemical industry. The chapters in this book cover a wide area of this important topic. The introductory chapter in particular gives a brief but comprehensive account of the various pyrolysis processes, products and materials. The other chapters of the book deal with specific processes including, among others, fast pyrolysis and pyrolysis of lignin and biomass materials such as waste tyres and waste plastics. Other topics discussed include synthesis of different pyrolysis products including bio-oil and biochar and modelling and optimization of pyrolysis products.

Readers of this book may not find an exhaustive or an encyclopaedic account of all pyrolysis processes, products and materials, but they will find many interesting and relevant topics related to different aspects of pyrolysis discussed by eminent

A final word needs to be said regarding IntechOpen in particular and other publishers of open access books, which have made knowledge and research freely available to all who seek it. The cooperation and support of the IntechOpen staff in the

**Hassan Al-Haj Ibrahim**

Hamah, Syria

Professor of Chemical Engineering, Director of Quality Assurance,

Arab University for Science and Technology,

preparation and final publication of this book is duly acknowledged.

conversion of buried organic matter into fossil fuels.

researchers in this field from across the world.

upgrading waste products.
