Pyrolysis of Sugarcane Bagasse: The Effects of Process Parameters on the Product Yields

Abstract

The objective of the present work is to investigate the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse in a semi-batch reactor and study the effect of process parameters of pyrolysis on the products yield to determine optimum parameters for maximum bio-oil production. Parameters of the pyrolysis process such as temperature, particle size of sugarcane bagasse and flow rate of nitrogen (N2) have been varied as 350–600 °C, 0.25–2 mm and 100–500 cm3/min, respectively. According to the various pyrolysis conditions applied in the experimental studies, the obtained oil, char and gas yields ranged between 38 and 45 wt%, 24 and 36 wt%, and 23 and 37 wt%, respectively. The maximum pyrolysis bio-oil yield of 45 wt% was achieved at temperature of 500 °C, particle size of 0.5 -1 mm with nitrogen(N2) flow rate of 200 cm3/min. Based on the results captured under this study's pyrolysis conditions, temperature is considered to be the most important parameter for product distribution. As the increases of the pyrolysis temperature the bio-char yield decreased and increase of gas yield. The bio-oil yield increases with increasing the temperature, reaches a maximum value at about 500 °C and reduces thereafter at higher temperature is expect due to secondary cracking reactions of the volatiles, which results produce a higher gaseous yield.