Thermal, Mechanical, Morphological and Aesthetical Properties of Rotational Molding PE/Pine Wood Sawdust Composites

This research addresses the importance of pine wood sawdust granulometry on the processing of medium-density polyethylene (MDPE)/wood composites by rotational molding and its effects on the morphological, mechanical and aesthetical properties of parts, aiming to contribute for the development of sustainable wood polymer composites (WPC) for rotational molding applications. Pine wood sawdust was sieved (<150, 150, 300, 500, 710, >1000 µm) and analyzed for its physical, morphological and thermal characteristics. Rotational molded parts were produced with matrix/wood ratios from 90/10 to 70/30 wt% considering different wood granulometries. As a natural material, wood changed its color during processing. Granulometries below 500 µm presented better sintering, homogeneity and less part defects. Furthermore, 300–500 µm favored the impact resistance (1316 N), as irregular brick-shaped wood was able to anchor to PE despite the weak interfacial adhesion observed. The increase of wood content from 10 to 30% reduced the impact properties by 40%, as a result of a highly porous structure formed, revealing sintering difficulties during processing. WPC parts of differentiated aesthetics and functionalities were achieved by rotational molding. A clear relationship between wood granulometry and WPC processing, structure and properties was identified.

PYROLYSIS OF PINE WOOD SAWDUST IN THE PRESENCE OF NATURAL ALUMINOSILICATE-BASED CATALYSTS

Пиролиз лигноцеллюлозного сырья в ценные продукты является перспективным направлением для переработки отходов деревообрабатывающей промышленности и для получения энергоносителей. Поиск катализаторов, обеспечивающих максимальный выход и теплоценность получаемых продуктов, - это актуальный вопрос в развитии технологии пиролиза. В данной работе были проведены исследования по влиянию катализаторов на основе природных алюмосиликатов на пиролиз сосновых опилок. Было найдено, что катализатор Ni-Red Clay оказывает наибольшее влияние на процесс термодеструкции сосновых опилок, приводя к увеличению выхода жидких и газообразных продуктов пиролиза. Pyrolysis of lignocellulose feedstock into valuable products is a promising direction for processing waste from the woodworking industry and for obtaining energy carriers. The search for catalysts that provide the maximum yield and heat value of the products obtained is an urgent issue in the development of pyrolysis technology. In this paper, studies on the effect of catalysts based on natural aluminosilicates on the pyrolysis of pinewood sawdust were carried out. It was found that the Ni-Red Clay catalyst has the highest influence on the process of thermal degradation of pinewood sawdust, leading to an increase in the yield of liquid and gaseous pyrolysis products.

Thermogravimetric and Kinetic Analysis of High-Temperature Thermal Conversion of Pine Wood Sawdust under CO2/Ar

The gasification behavior of pine wood sawdust was investigated in CO2 with different heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 °C/min from room temperature to 1400 °C by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and mass spectrometry (MS). It was also examined under Ar to compare the differences observed under CO2 at heating rate of 10 °C/min. Kinetics of pine wood sawdust thermal decomposition was determined by the models of FWO, KAS and master plot method. TGA results revealed different reaction sections from pyrolysis to char gasification under CO2. The pyrolysis behavior was similar under CO2 and Ar and had a similar energy required value about 590 kJ/kg from 250 °C to 420 °C. CO, CH4, and H2 were the primary gases obtained from thermal decomposition, and the amounts of which in CO2 atmosphere were higher than those obtained in Ar. The average activation energy for pyrolysis under CO2 was 184.72 kJ/mol.

Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of Pine Wood Sawdust Mixed with Activated Carbon for Bio-Oil and Bio-Char Production

Pyrolysis of pine wood sawdust was carried out using microwave-heating technology in the presence of activated carbon (AC). Experimental conditions were of 20 min processing time, 10 wt.% of AC, and a microwave power varying from 100 to 800 W. The results obtained showed that the microwave absorber allowed increasing the bio-oil yield up to 2 folds by reducing the charcoal fraction. The maximum temperature reached was 505 °C at 800 W. The higher heating values (HHV) of the solid residues ranged from 17.6 to 30.3 MJ/kg. The highest HHV was obtained for the sample heated at 800 W with 10 wt.% of AC, which was 33% higher than the non-charged sample heated at the same power. Furthermore, the addition of AC allowed showing the probable catalytic effect of the AC in the charged sample pyrolysis bio-oils.

Enhancing the Phenolic Content of Bio-Oil by Acid Pre-Treatment of Biomass

Pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass with acidic pre-treatment to produce valuable bio-chemicals has been carried out in an integrated pyrolysis-gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry system. Three different waste biomasses (fir wood sawdust, pine wood sawdust and nutshell) were subjected to acidic solution to specify the acid pre-treatment effect on biomass chemical structure, thermal degradation profile and pyrolysis products. Post acid pre-treatments, the changes in the biomasses and thermal degradation profile were studied through proximate, structure and ultimate analysis and thermogravimetric. The pre-treatment significantly reduced the inorganic, cellulose and hemicellulose content in biomass samples. According to the pyrolysis experiment results, acid pre-treatment provided the increasing of the amount of phenolic in the degradation products at 10 min pyrolysis time. All the results would assist further understanding of thermal decomposition and thermo-chemical application for bio-fuels and bio-chemicals of fir wood sawdust, pine wood sawdust and nutshell.Article History: Received January 15th 2018; Received in revised form May 24th 2018; Accepted 7th June 2018; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Ozbay, N. and Yaman, E (2018) Enhancing the Phenolic Content of Bio-Oil by Acid Pre-Treatment of Biomass. Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 7(2), 163-169.https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.7.2.163-169

TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF PLYWOOD BONDED WITH PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE RESOL RESIN SYNTHESIZED WITH BIO-OIL

ABSTRACT In this study, it was aimed to use of bio-oil as an alternative to petroleum-based phenol in the production of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin used for making exterior plywood.Bio-oil obtained from pine wood sawdust using a vacuum pyrolysis reactor at 500 °C. The PF resol resins were produced by substituting up to 20 wt% of phenol with bio-oil by modifying the chemical synthesis process. FT-IRanalysis was performed to characterizethe organic functional groups in the bio-oil modified PF resins. In comparison to the commercial and lab-made PF resins, the bio-oil modified PF resins were found to have larger average molecular weights, higher polydispersity indices, and shorter gel times. Six different types of plywood panels were produced from the experimental PF resins which were commercial PF resin, lab-made PF resin, and PF resins modified with bio oil of 5, 10, 15 or 20 wt% contents, respectively. Plywood specimens produced with the PF resin modified with bio-oil up to 20 wt% had better tensile shear strength (wet condition), modulus of rupture, and modulus of elasticity in bending as compared to the commercial and lab-made PF resins.