Abstract
Biomass contains Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metals (AAEMs) which, during the pyrolysis process of biomass, can affect the production of harmful gases such as NH3, HCN and HNCO. In this study, the effect of AAEMs on the mechanisms of amino acid pyrolysis was analysed with a combination of Thermogravimetric- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) experiments and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Moreover, the four most abundant metals in biomass (K, Ca, Na and Mg) were selected, and glutamic acid (Glu), which accounts for the largest proportion of plant proteins, was studied. The results showed that all four metal chlorides had an inhibitory effect on the production of N-containing gases, while promoted the char formation. Sodium was the most effective in reducing the yields of NH3, HCN and HNCO. The alkaline earth metals (Ca and Mg) could influence the temperature range for gas release. Diketopiperazines (DKP) were produced from the pyrolysis of amino acids, and the precursor of HCN and HNCO. This study explained the effect of AAEMs on nitrogen conversion mechanisms during biomass pyrolysis and provided theoretical support for controlling the nitrogen element transfer.
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