Catalytic Pyrolysis of Biomass: Yields and Characterization of the Products

Abstract

Terpene hydrocarbons are high energy capacity hydrocarbons. The most known terpenoid biomass is Euphorbiaccae family. Euphorbia rigida, a member of Euphorbiaccae, was used as the biomass feedsock and natural zeolite was used as the catalyst in this study. In the experimental studies, firstly the raw material was analysed for its moisture, ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon. Then experiments were carried out in steam atmosphere in a fixed-bed reactor with a heating rate of 7 K/min, pyrolysis temperature of 823 K and mean particular size of 0.55 mm by mixing the catalyst to feedstock in different percentages. Experiments were performed with the catalyst ratios of 5, 10, 20 and 25 (weight-%) under steam atmosphere with the velocities of 12, 25 and 52 cm(3)/min to determine the effect of catalyst and steam oil the product yields and bio-oil composition. Steam velocities were considered as the average steam velocities in the inlet tube of the reactor. The maximum bio-oil was reached to a value of 39.7% when using catalyst ratio of 20% and steam flow rate of 25 cm(3)/min. Pyrolysis oils were examined by using elemental analysis, IR and (1)H-NMR spectroscopy. The liquid products were also fractionated by column chromatography and the gas chromatographic analysis of n-pentane eluate was performed.