Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Prairie Cordgrass Lignin and Quantification of Products by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Organosolv lignin extracted from prairie cordgrass (PCG) was pyrolyzed in the presence of HZSM-5 and analyzed using pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS). The pyrolysis products detected are primarily aromatic hydrocarbons and phenolic compounds. The effects of the HZSM-5 catalyst and pyroprobe temperature on the production of aromatic hydrocarbons and phenolic compounds were assessed quantitatively. HZSM-5 mixed with PCG lignin at a ratio of 5:1 and a pyroprobe temperature of 650 °C maximized the production of the detected aromatic hydrocarbons, resulting in about a 13 wt % yield of PCG lignin. At these conditions, the products detected are estimated to have a total oxygen content of about 1.4% and a higher heating value of 49 MJ/kg, although the detected compounds may constitute less than a quarter of the volatiles released during the pyrolysis of PCG lignin. Toluene and p-xylene were the two most abundant hydrocarbons formed in the presence of HZSM-5, with yields of 3.6 and 3.2% of ...