Abstract
Problem statement: Oil palm Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) are abundant biomass in Malaysia. Studies about production of biofuels using slow pyrolysis of EFB are still lacking. So, this study was aimed to understand the physical and chemical properties of the bio-oil and its simple blends. Approach: EFB was slow pyrolysed with internal heating at terminal temperature of 600°C in a pilot kiln and the main product is the EFB char and the condensates from the emissions were separated into aqueous and tarry fractions. Results: 13 wt% of tarry component (referred as EFB oil) was obtained as small fraction of co-product. The chemical composition of the EFB oil acquired was analyzed by GC-MS and its elemental composition, stability, miscibility, oil fuel properties and corrosion characteristics were determined. The empirical formula of the EFB oil with heating value of 31.44 MJ kg-1 was established as CH1.41N0.03O0.24. Characterizations of bio-oil, diesel and emulsifier blends were performed. Conclusions/Recommendations: The experimental results showed that the emulsions of EFB oil obtained may be directly used as a fuel oil for combustion in a boiler or a furnace without any upgrading. Alternatively, the fuel may be refined to be used by vehicles.
Highlights
Biomass is widely considered as a sustainable source of renewable energy in countries where there is plentiful agricultural activities
Pyrolysis process and methods: Slow pyrolysis of the empty fruit bunches (EFB) was carried out using a pilot kiln (Fig. 3)
The EFB fibers were heated internally with initial partial burning at the bottom part of chamber which was ignited using the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fire below the wire mesh with the help of a blower
Summary
Biomass is widely considered as a sustainable source of renewable energy in countries where there is plentiful agricultural activities. Over the last two decades, special attention has been paid to conversion of residual biomass and renewable materials into bio-oil. Oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) are abundant in Malaysia with an annual production of more than 18 million tons (fresh wt)[2]. Traditional methods such as composting and incineration are not suitable to process these organic solid wastes, as they contain small concentrations of nitrogen for composting and a considerable amount of solid grains and smoke would be released to pollute the environment during incineration. A practical method should be to pyrolyse EFB for providing char, EFB vinegar and biooil
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
