Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass for bio-oil production

Abstract

A study of the catalytic pyrolysis of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) fronds, OPF was conducted in a fixed-bed reactor. The product yield are bio-oil, bio-char and bio-gas. The composition of bio-oil and bio-gas were analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometer GC-MS and portable 5 gas emission analyzer. The effects of pyrolysis parameters such as temperature, type of catalyst and catalyst/biomass mass ratio on the distribution of product yield and bio-oil characterization were investigated. Pyrolysis runs were carried out at 500°C and 600°C each within 10 minutes of heating. The non-catalytic and catalytic process of oil palm fronds was performed at the optimum conditions with sodium hydroxide impregnated char, NaOH/C, zeolite ZSM-5 and dolomite catalyst. The obtained bio-oil, bio-char and bio-gas yields ranged between 16.90 - 23.63 %, 20.00 - 28.06 % and 43.59 - 55.20 % respectively, at different pyrolysis conditions. The highest bio-oil yield for non-catalytic runs was 23.63 % at 600°C pyrolysis temperature range while highest bio-oil yield for catalytic pyrolysis was 21.97 % with NaOH/C at catalyst/biomass mass ratio of 1:3.