Study on ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of poplar to produce aromatics over a dual-catalyst system of hydroxyapatite and HZSM-5

Abstract

The ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of poplar in a dual-catalyst system of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and HZSM-5 was performed using a bench-scale device to enhance the aromatics production. Results indicated that the introduction of HAP could effectively achieve the deoxygenation of macromolecular oxygenates, which were then converted into hydrocarbon precursors. The combination of HAP and HZSM-5 exceedingly promoted the production of aromatics especially monocyclic aromatics (MAHs) than single HZSM-5. The effects of operating conditions on aromatics yield and distribution were investigated. Under the catalyst layout of mode B, with the optimum conditions reaching the catalytic temperature of 500 °C, HAP to HZSM-5 ratio of 2:4, and catalyst to biomass ratio of 1:1, the maximum aromatics yield of 9.10 wt% was achieved, accompanied by the monocyclic aromatics/polycyclic aromatics ratio enhanced to 2.33. At this point, the synergistic effect for MAHs and total aromatics reached 170.09% and 214.14%, respectively. Compared to the conventional metal oxides, the HAP/HZSM-5 dual-catalyst system exhibited superior performance in aromatics production. Besides, the anti-coking capability of HZSM-5 in the dual-catalyst system was also better than that of pure HZSM-5. This research provided a new perspective for the efficient utilization of biomass energy.