Application of central composite design for optimization of bio‐oil production using peat moss

Abstract

AbstractMost nations have concentrated on reducing greenhouse gas emissions since global warming is such a serious problem. Due to land use changes, the harvesting of peat for use as fuel in homes, and the gardening industry, peat moss from peat bogs or peat fields may cause smoldering fires and release quantities of carbon dioxide. Bio‐fuel is one of the alternative renewable sources created from organic materials. Pyrolysis, a thermochemical process that converts organic materials into substitutes for fossil fuels and used to create biofuel because it is readily available, straightforward, and inexpensive to implement. The feedstock utilized in this experiment was peat moss. Proximate and ultimate analyses were performed using thermogravimetric analysis and elemental analyzer to determine thermal breakdown and elemental characteristics. Pyrolysis was carried out in this work using a prototype lab scale fixed‐bed pyrolysis. Based on prior study, the parameters used are pyrolysis temperature, nitrogen flow rate and reaction time to create the central composite design model. According to the analysis of variance results, pyrolysis temperature and flow rate were significant, however reaction time was not. The effect of flow rate and reaction time on response was explored. The actual bio‐oil yield achieved utilizing the optimal parameters was 10.02 %. The presence of chemical compounds in bio‐oil was measured.