Evaluating the blending potential of two different biomass via co-pyrolysis as sustainable pathway using RSM optimization for bioenergy and bio char production

Abstract

The present study addresses the co pyrolysis of Lantana Camara (LC) and Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG) to produce renewable biofuels. The aim is to optimize the process by determining the optimal blending ratio, temperature, and residence time to obtain the highest bio-oil yield. The experiments were performed using a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor, and the parameters were optimized using response surface methodology. The physicochemical properties of the products were analyzed using GC MS, XRD, FTIR, and TGA analysis. The results of the study show that the highest bio-oil yield was obtained at a blending ratio of 5(LC):5(SCG), a temperature of 500 °C, and a residence time of 6 min. The bio-oil yield increased from 23.3 wt.% at 400 °C to a maximum of 40.2 wt.% at 500 °C. Kinetic analysis was done using TGA data by plotting Coats Redfern plot. Activation energy for LC and SCG were found to be 31258.442 and 56766.714 J/mol, respectively, and Arrhenius parameters for LC and SCG were 113.66 and 8783.017, respectively. The bio char produced has potential applications in water treatment. Overall, the study identified optimal conditions for maximizing bio-oil yield, demonstrating a significant increase compared to traditional methods.