Effect of acidity and manner of addition of HZSM-5 catalyst on the aromatic products during catalytic upgrading of biomass pyrolysis

To investigate the effects of acidity on aromatic yield and selectivity during the catalytic pyrolysis of biomass, the silica to alumina ratio (SAR), as well as the amount and addition method of HZSM-5 catalyst were varied. The results showed that with an increase in the SAR, the pore volume was reduced, the average pore diameter of the HZSM-5 catalyst increased, and the total acidity and catalytic activity decreased. Meanwhile, the increase in acidity led to an increased non-condensable gases yield, which was associated with a decrease in the bio-oil yield. The calorific value and moisture content increased, and the ability of deoxygenation was enhanced. The single ring aromatic hydrocarbons (BTXE) content increased, and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (2-ring, 3-ring) content decreased noticeably. The selectivity of BTXE decreased substantially from 69 wt.% to 6.85 wt.%, while the selectivity of naphthalene and its derivatives increased remarkably, as the SAR increased. Additionally, the acidity increased the selectivity of unsubstituted aromatic compounds, but decreased the selectivity of substituted aromatic compounds. Moreover, ex situ catalytic pyrolysis more effectively enhanced the aromatic hydrocarbon yield and selectivity (69 wt.%) compared with in situ catalytic pyrolysis (27.51 wt.%), and in situ catalytic pyrolysis generated more polyaromatics and solid residue.