Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene (BTX) Production from Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass: A Review

In order to reduce dependence on nonrenewable resources and environmental damage, alternative renewable feedstocks are needed to replace fossil fuels to produce benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX). Biomass has been considered an ideal feedstock because of its abundance, renewability, and carbon neutrality. Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) is a potential method for the conversion of biomass to BTX. This paper summarizes the mechanisms and pathways of biomass to BTX via CFP and attempts to provide an overview of the factors affecting BTX production from biomass in terms of feedstocks, catalysts, process configurations, and pyrolysis conditions. On the basis of understanding these factors, potential optimization methods to enhance the yield and selectivity of BTX from biomass CFP are proposed.