Data from petrological and geochemical analyses of fast pyrolysis bio-oil distillation residues and naturally formed solid fossil fuels

Distillation of fast pyrolysis bio-oils leaves solid residues analogous to those from distillation of fossil fuels or from natural subsurface petroleum formation (i.e., solid bitumen) or other natural carbon concentration processes (e.g., coal formation). Much like petroleum-based residues, bio-oil residues vary in terms of quality, yield, and versatility for downstream applications. For this study, fast pyrolysis bio-oil distillate residues and naturally formed, fossil-derived solid fuels were analyzed using various petrological and geochemical analysis techniques. Analyses included elemental and total organic carbon (TOC) content analysis, geochemical screening, organic petrographic and reflectance analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, though Raman spectroscopy was not performed on the fossil fuel comparison samples. Naturally formed solid hydrocarbon samples used for comparison were collected from pure veins in the Uinta Basin, Utah, the Brooks Range, Alaska, or are a surface mine product from American Gilsonite Company in Bonanza, Utah. One lignite-subbituminous coal sample ( TX-08-SM-1.9 ) was collected from the San Miguel mine, Texas. This sample is included herein to correct a data transposition error from a previously published data release, (Lohr, C.D., and Hackley, P.C., 2020). The data provided herein supports the comparison of compositions and petrographic presentation of the biomass distillation residue solids and natural solid hydrocarbon products and lignite-subbituminous coal.