Selective Production of 4-Vinylphenol by Fast Pyrolysis of Herbaceous Biomass

Abstract

4-Vinylphenol is an important chemical that can be used as the monomer for the production of poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVPh). Currently, 4-vinylphenol was prepared by the dehydrogenation of 4-ethylphenol over chromia/alumina catalyst at 600 °C. In this study, a low-cost process involving low-temperature fast pyrolysis of biomass without any catalyst was developed to selectively produce 4-vinylphenol. Pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS) was used for the fast pyrolysis of bagasse, cornstalk, bamboo, rice husk, rice straw, cotton straw, and poplar wood to investigate the effects of different materials on the selectivity of 4-vinylphenol. It was found that some of the herbaceous materials, such as bagasse, cornstalk, and bamboo, were suitable for the production of 4-vinylphenol, whereas woody materials were not applicable. The effects of temperature on 4-vinylphenol production were also investigated. 4-Vinylphenol contents of up to 7 and 20 wt % were achieved at 300 °C from bagasse and bagass...