Novel detection of primary and secondary volatiles from cedar pyrolysis using in-situ pyrolysis double ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract

Exploration of primary and secondary volatiles from biomass pyrolysis is of great importance for revealing biomass pyrolysis mechanisms. In this study, a novel in-situ pyrolysis time-of-flight mass spectrometry with double ionization sources was taken to in-situ detect primary volatiles and secondary volatiles from volatiles-volatiles interactions during cedar pyrolysis. Herein, height-varied quartz sand was applied to regulate volatiles-volatiles interactions, and the interaction mechanisms were examined with assistance with EPR analysis. The results show that primary volatiles mainly contain aliphatic chains, phenols, furans, G-type guaiacols and polycyclics. G-type guaiacols interactions were intensified by increasing the quartz sand height, and promoted for the formation of phenols, polycyclics and aromatic radical- and catechol radical-contained coke. During secondary reactions, the furans tend to undergo deacetylation and volatiles-volatiles condensation to form 2-furanmethanol and σ type radical-contained coke. This study provided a novel method to understand the release and secondary evolution behaviors of primary volatiles during biomass pyrolysis.