Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis: Influencing Bio-Oil Quality with the Catalyst-to-Biomass Ratio

Abstract Fast pyrolysis is an attractive way of converting abundant biomass resources into valuable products such as bio-oil. Nevertheless, high oxygenated compounds and water content of bio-oil limit its direct use as fuel or chemicals. Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) is able to improve bio-oil properties so that downstream upgrading processes can be economically feasible. In this study five different catalysts such as zeolite socony mobil-5 (ZSM-5), cerium dioxide (CeO2), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) were employed due to their potential in enhancing bio-oil properties. CFP of pearl millet (PM) and Sida cordifolia (Sida) was performed to investigate the effects of catalysts on the products distribution and chemical contents of bio-oil. The results showed that bio-oil yield decreased during CFP regardless of catalyst and biomass types. Among all catalysts, CeO2 was found to be the most suitable to produce acids and alkanes from CFP of PM; and acids, ketones, and aromatics from CFP of Sida. The high production of ketones from PM and alkanes from Sida was observed with Na2CO3 catalyst. The ZrO2 catalyst indicated the high aromatics production from PM, whereas alcohols, amines, and others were abundant in bio-oil from CFP of PM using ZSM-5. Overall, PM and Sida can be used to produce fuel or value-added chemicals through CFP.

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Selectively Improving the Bio-Oil Quality by Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Heavy-Metal-Polluted Biomass: Take Copper (Cu) as an Example

Environmental Science & Technology ◽

10.1021/es204681y ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 46 (14) ◽

pp. 7849-7856 ◽

Cited By ~ 93

Author(s):

Wu-Jun Liu ◽

Ke Tian ◽

Hong Jiang ◽

Xue-Song Zhang ◽

Hong-Sheng Ding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metal ◽

Oil Quality ◽

Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Bio Oil

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Recent developments in lignocellulosic biomass catalytic fast pyrolysis: Strategies for the optimization of bio-oil quality and yield

Fuel Processing Technology ◽

10.1016/j.fuproc.2019.106180 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 196 ◽

pp. 106180 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Xu Chen ◽

Qingfeng Che ◽

Shujuan Li ◽

Zihao Liu ◽

Haiping Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽

Oil Quality ◽

Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Bio Oil ◽

Recent Developments

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Catalytic fast pyrolysis of mushroom waste to upgraded bio-oil products via pre-coked modified HZSM-5 catalyst

Bioresource Technology ◽

10.1016/j.biortech.2016.04.005 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 212 ◽

pp. 6-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Jia Wang ◽

Zhaoping Zhong ◽

Kuan Ding ◽

Zeyu Xue

Keyword(s):

Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Oil Products ◽

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Bio Oil

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Conversion of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Biomass to Bio-Oil and Jet Bio-Fuel by Catalytic Fast-Pyrolysis Process

ASM Science Journal ◽

10.32802/asmscj.2020.508 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Haryanti Yahaya ◽

Rozzeta Dollah ◽

Norsahika Mohd Basir ◽

Rohit Karnik ◽

Halimaton Hamdan

Keyword(s):

Oil Palm ◽

Zeolite Y ◽

Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Batch Process ◽

Zeolite Catalysts ◽

Catalyst Loading ◽

Empty Fruit Bunch ◽

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Compound Distribution ◽

Bio Oil

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) biomass is a potential source of renewable energy. Catalytic fast-pyrolysis batch process was initially performed to convert oil palm EFB into bio-oil, followed by its refinement to jet bio-fuel. Crystalline zeolites A and Y; synthesised from rice husk ash (RHA), were applied as heterogeneous catalysts. The catalytic conversion of oil palm EFB to bio-oil was conducted at a temperature range of 320-400°C with zeolite A catalyst loadings of 0.6 - 3.0 wt%. The zeolite catalysts were characterised by XRD, FTIR and FESEM. The bio-oil and jet bio-fuel products were analysed using GC-MS and FTIR. The batch fast-pyrolysis reaction was optimised at 400°C with a catalyst loading of 1.0 wt%, produced 42.7 wt% yields of liquid bio-oil, 35.4 wt% char and 21.9 wt% gaseous products. Analysis by GCMS indicates the compound distribution of the liquid bio-oil are as follows: hydrocarbons (23%), phenols (61%), carboxylic acids (0.7%), ketones (2.7%), FAME (7.7%) and alcohols (0.8%). Further refinement of the liquid bio-oil by catalytic hydrocracking over zeolite Y produced jet bio-fuel, which contains 63% hydrocarbon compounds (C8-C18) and 16% of phenolic compounds.

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Utilisation of poultry industry wastes for liquid biofuel production via thermal and catalytic fast pyrolysis

Waste Management & Research ◽

10.1177/0734242x18799870 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 157-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ismail Cem Kantarli ◽

Stylianos D Stefanidis ◽

Konstantinos G Kalogiannis ◽

Angelos A Lappas

Keyword(s):

Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽

Poultry Litter ◽

Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Fixed Bed ◽

Pilot Scale ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Fluidised Bed ◽

Nitrogenous Compounds ◽

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis ◽

Bio Oil

The objective of this study was to examine the potential of poultry wastes to be used as feedstock in non-catalytic and catalytic fast pyrolysis processes, which is a continuation of our previous research on their conversion into biofuel via slow pyrolysis and hydrothermal conversion. Both poultry meal and poultry litter were examined, initially in a fixed bed bench-scale reactor using ZSM-5 and MgO as catalysts. Pyrolysis of poultry meal yielded high amounts of bio-oil, while pyrolysis of poultry litter yielded high amounts of solid residue owing to its high ash content. MgO was found to be more effective for the deoxygenation of bio-oil and reduction of undesirable compounds, by converting mainly the acids in the pyrolysis vapours of poultry meal into aliphatic hydrocarbons. ZSM-5 favoured the formation of both aromatic compounds and undesirable nitrogenous compounds. Overall, all bio-oil samples from the pyrolysis of poultry wastes contained relatively high amounts of nitrogen compared with bio-oils from lignocellulosic biomass, ca. 9 wt.% in the case of poultry meal and ca. 5–8 wt.% in the case of poultry litter. This was attributed to the high nitrogen content of the poultry wastes, unlike that of lignocellulosic biomass. Poultry meal yielded the highest amount of bio-oil and was selected as optimum feedstock to be scaled-up in a semi-pilot scale fluidised bed biomass pyrolysis unit with the ZSM-5 catalyst. Pyrolysis in the fluidised bed reactor was more efficient for deoxygenation of the bio-oil vapours, as evidenced from the lower oxygen content of the bio-oil.

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