Assessing the impact of combustion and thermal decomposition properties of locally available biomass on the emissions of BTEX compounds by chemometric approach

Abstract

This paper reports the results of the level of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and p, m, o – xylenes (BTEX) compounds in smoke from combustion and pyrolysis of apricot endocarp, plum endocarp, the poplar wood pellets and sawdust of poplar clone I-214 (P. x euramericana cl. I-214 cultivated in Serbia). The total concentrations of BTEX, in the smoke produced by the combustion range from < LOD (fresh plum endocarp) to 1.74 mg kg−1 (apricot endocarp), while in the smoke produced by the pyrolysis, ranged from < LOD (poplar wood sawdust) to 1.99 mg kg−1 (apricot endocarp). Toluene, ethylbenzene and m ± p xylenes were detected during pyrolysis for all three plum endocarp samples, while during combustion only for fermented and distilled one. Additionally, this study was systematically investigated the application of cluster analysis CA and principal component analysis PCA in interpretation of origin and combustion and pyrolysis parameters; PCA and CA shown how time and temperatures profiles during combustion and pyrolysis affected levels of BTEX in smoke. The results of score plot demonstrated that PCA may be useful in discrimination between samples based on the combustion and pyrolysis properties and the emitted level of BTEX.