Lignin constitutes 20 to 40 percent of lignocellulose including woods and grass, ... The pyrolysis of lignin produces an oil, which has little industrial utility due to its high viscosity.

Pyrolysis techniques done at temperatures over 400 degrees Celsius can be used to create bio-oils such as phenols from the lignin, but the oils lack sufficient hydrogen and contain too many oxygen ...

A new low-temperature, multi-phase process for upgrading lignin bio-oil to hydrocarbons could help expand use of the lignin, ... “We tested 15 or 20 different molecules that were produced by pyrolysis ...