Prediction of the degradation route of α-cellulose hydrothermal liquefaction in super-critical organic solvents into bio-oil

Abstract

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of α-cellulose in different organic solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone) to produce soluble liquids were comparatively investigated. Experiments were carried out in an autoclave at temperature of 350 °C with a fixed solid/liquid ratio of 2 gram in 60 ml of organics solvent, without catalysts and reaction time of 7 hours. Biomass was converted into lower soluble liquid on the use of methanol solvent compared to other two solvents, namely ethanol and acetone. The liquid products were analyzed using GCMS to determine the chemical composition. The chemical compositions were greatly affected by the solvent types. Each solvent has a major component in bio-oil product. Methanol solvent resulted a major componenet such as n-hexadecanoic acid and Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. Ethanol solvents resulted the major component such 1,2 Benzenediol, Tetradecanoic acid, n-Hexadecanoic acid and Octadecanoic acid. Acetone solvent resulted the major component such as Ethanone,1-(2-hydroxyphenyl), 9-Octadecanoic acid (Z)-, methyl ester, Octadecanoic acid and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Ethanol solvent resulted big component of 1,2-Benzenediol, but two others solvent of acetone and methanol have none. Also, ethanol solvent resulted a major component of tetradecanoic acid compared two others solvent such as acetone and methanol. Ethanol and methanol solvents resulted n-hexadecanoic acid as a major component, as large as 21-fold and 18 fold compared to the acetone solvent respectively. Acetone solvent resulted a major component such as 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)-, methyl ester and octadecanoic acid, for solvent of ethanol and methanol the resuls always decreased. Methanol solvent has major component of Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and second was acetone solvent, and the third was ethanol solvent.