Research on the pyrolysis mechanism of tobacco based on low temperature torrefaction

Abstract

The temperature range of 100–220 °C is known to cause the volatilization of some volatile components and the pyrolysis of some unstable components in tobacco. However, there is a lack of research on the pyrolysis mechanism of tobacco at this temperature range. To address this gap, the present study employed an innovative cascade pyrolysis method based on stepwise heating to analyze the composition of tobacco's rapid pyrolysis products within this temperature range. The analysis was conducted at intervals of 30 °C. The study summarized the release characteristics of organics at different temperatures and analyzed the representative substances of various organic families. In addition, considering that tobacco has a unique composition compared to most biomass, the same five temperature points as they do in the cascade pyrolysis process were selected to torrefy the tobacco samples. These temperatures are lower than the conventional torrefaction temperatures typically used for biomass pretreatment. Multiple techniques were used to systematically analyze the composition, functional group structure, and thermal degradation characteristics of tobacco torrefied at different temperatures. Subsequently, the effect of torrefaction temperature on the release performance of products from tobacco pyrolysis at 650 °C was also studied. The results of this study not only contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the pyrolysis mechanism of tobacco but also provide theoretical support for cigarette processing and tobacco waste utilization.