Fast pyrolysis of Enteromorpha prolifera model compounds for syngas: A simulated and experimental study

Abstract

The large-scale blooming of Enteromorpha prolifera (EP) results in "green tide," triggering significant environmental issues. However, EP as algal biomass can be converted to syngas through fast pyrolysis. This research investigates the fast pyrolysis of modeled compounds of EP for syngas production. Rhamnose (Rha), glucuronic acid (GlcA), aspartic acid (Asp), glutamic acid (Glu), and alanine (Ala) are used as the model compounds. This study employs experiments and simulations on fast pyrolysis processes. The results reveal that polysaccharide sulfate (PS) undergoes various reactions, including glycosidic bond cleavage, pyran ring opening, dehydration, and C-C bond cleavage. Simultaneously, amino acids experience dehydration, deamination, decarboxylation, and decarboxylation reactions. Fast co-pyrolysis of modeled compounds of EP, the monosaccharides and uronic acid molecules produced by PS pyrolysis also attack each other with amino acid molecules to produce other substances. The pyrolysis gas obtained from the model compounds of PS exhibits the highest CO content. Notably, amino acids possess a superior capability to produce H2 compared with PS. With the fast co-pyrolysis of EP model compounds, the CO2 content increases while the CO content decreases. This study provides a theoretical basis for the fast pyrolysis of EP to produce syngas.