Catalytic pyrolysis of rice husk to co-produce hydrogen-rich syngas, phenol-rich bio-oil and nanostructured porous carbon

Abstract

How to achieve high value modification of biomass through simple process and low cost is an important bottleneck in the development of biomass energy. In this study, hydrogen-rich syngas, phenol-rich bio-oil and high specific surface area nanostructured porous carbon materials were synthesized by one-step in situ catalytic pyrolysis at 500 °C. Composition and physicochemical property tests of the three-phase products showed that KOH promotes ring opening and bond breaking of macromolecules in the bio-oil, improves the directional selectivity of phenolic compounds, and generates more small molecule gases. Molten K+ and water vapor etched the biomass to prepare porous carbon with high graphitization and rich pore structure and generate more H2. Further electrochemical characterization showed that the porous carbon material had good specific capacitance and cyclic stability. This study provides a new idea for the utilization of pyrolysis polygeneration technology of agroforestry biomass resources, and it is also of guiding significance for the research of high-value utilization of biomass resources.