Calorific Value Of Bio-oil Research Articles

Pyrolysis of corn stalks: The potential of using bio-oil as a fuel

Due to the increasing consumption of fossil fuels, there is a growing demand for renewable energy resources. At the same time, a significant amount of agricultural waste accumulates, including corn residues, and efficient management of this waste is a challenge. In this work, the waste biomass, which consisted of the stalks of two types of corn, was characterized and subjected to the pyrolysis process at 400?C. Physicochemical characterization of the obtained liquid fraction (bio-oil) was performed, and the obtained data were compared with literature data for liquid biofuel. The calorific value of bio-oil was above 22 MJ kg-1, which indicates the good potential of waste corn biomass as an energy source. With appropriate further changes in the composition of waste, by adding materials with a higher carbon and hydrogen content, corn stalks can represent a significant energy source, with better regulation of disposal and storage of agricultural waste.

Pyrolysis of pellets prepared from groundnut shell and crude glycerol: in-situ utilization of pyro-gas and characterization of products

During biodiesel production process crude glycerol (a polyol) is obtained as a by-product. In this paper, an effort has been made for using it for pellet production from groundnut shell. Three types of pellets containing 20 wt%, 40 wt% and 60 wt% crude glycerol were prepared. Palletisation led to easy handling of biomass and also increases energy density. Furthermore, characterisation of prepared pellets was performed and subsequently, pyrolized. An increase of volatile matter from 72.45 wt% to 85.18 wt% in pellets was noted with addition of glycerol. Pyrolysis of glycerol containing pellets was carried out in batch (0.5kg) scale along with in-situ circulation of generated pyro-gas. Bio-oil yield increased from 30 wt% to 41 wt% in batch scale as glycerol content increased from 0 wt% to 60 wt%. Pyrolysis products were thoroughly characterised to understand the effects of crude glycerol addition. Calorific value of bio-char was increased from 20.89 MJ/kg to 23.67 MJ/kg as glycerol content increased. Calorific value of bio-oil was 32.66 MJ/kg. The pyro-gas produced was utilized to heat the pyrolysis reactor. Pyro-gas yield increased from 28 wt% to 32 wt% in batch scale as glycerol content increased. In-situ utilization of pyro-gas led to ~ 17% electricity saving.

Prosopis juliflora valorization via microwave-assisted pyrolysis: Optimization of reaction parameters using machine learning analysis

Microwave power and pyrolysis temperature are essential parameters in optimizing the bio-oil yield and quality in microwave pyrolysis. This study focused on understanding the interactions between the microwave power/heating rate and pyrolysis temperature in microwave-assisted pyrolysis of Prosopis juliflora. For optimum bio-oil yield, a discrete set of microwave powers (280 W, 420 W, and 560 W) and pyrolysis temperatures (200 °C, 350 °C, and 500 °C) were selected. A central composite design (CCD) was adopted to analyze the effect of microwave power and the pyrolysis temperature on product yields, heating rate, microwave conversion efficiency, and heat losses in pyrolysis. Moreover, the effect of heating rate, reaction time, specific microwave power, specific microwave energy, and conductive heat loss on gas, char, and liquid yields was evaluated using statistical machine learning techniques. Moreover, a new parameter, pyrolysis index, is calculated under different conditions to understand the extent of pyrolysis intensity using pyrolysis time, heating value, feedstock mass and conversion, and microwave energy conversion. The yields of bio-oil, biochar, and gas were 25–40 wt%, 25–35 wt%, and 35–40 wt% at different experimental conditions. Bio-oil consists of a mix of organic compounds with methoxy phenols at high selectivity, and the calorific value of bio-oil was in the range of 26–28 MJ/kg. Carbon number analysis revealed higher presence of C5–C9 compounds. This study shows the role of machine learning in understanding the effect of various parameters effectively and optimizing the experimental conditions accordingly.

Influence of alkali and alkaline earth metals on the hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic model compounds

The alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in biomass have a certain influence on its thermochemical conversion process. In order to study the influence of water-soluble AAEMs on hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to produce bio-oil, the metal chlorides of K, Na, Ca and Mg were used as additives, and glucose, xylan and lignin were typical lignocellulosic biomass to conduct HTL experiments. The results showed that AAEMs increased the yield of bio-oil from glucose and xylan by 42.1% and 23.8%, respectively, and the catalytic effect of alkaline earth metals was stronger. However, the addition of mixed metal chloride reduced the bio-oil yield and energy recovery of lignin. AAEMs provided more H+ and OH− active radicals in the aqueous phase, which intensified the esterification reaction and decarbonylation reaction, and promoted the diversification of substances. Meanwhile, AAEMs improved the Higher heating value and energy recovery rate of bio-oil, and Mg promoted the reduction reaction, the calorific value of bio-oil was increased by 7.4, 1.5 and 2.5%, respectively.

Studies on dielectric properties and microwave pyrolysis of karanja seed

Non-edible seeds are potential candidates for the production of biofuels and other value added products. The specific objective of this work is to measure the dielectric properties (dielectric constant, loss factor, loss tangent and penetration depth) of karanja seed. The data on dielectric properties of karanja seed will be helpful to understand its microwave absorbing capacity and heating behaviour in the microwave pyrolysis process. In this work, the dielectric properties of karanja seed are determined at ambient temperature and in the frequency range 0.1–3.0 GHz. The loss tangent values of karanja seed obtained at the two recognized commercial frequencies of 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz are compared with those of some biomass available in the literature. Finally, the karanja seed is pyrolyzed in a domestic microwave oven at four different power inputs of 500 W, 600 W, 700 W and 800 W. The microwave pyrolysis characteristics of karanja seed is determined in terms of temperature variation inside the reactor and pyrolysis products yields at different power inputs. The chemical composition and fuel properties of the produced bio-oil are measured. The loss tangent of karanja seed at 2.45 GHz is 1.3, which is higher than lignocellulosic biomass like oil palm fibre (0.08). The results of the dielectric properties of the present work shows that karanja seed has better microwave absorption characteristics compared to lignocellulosic biomass. In the actual pyrolysis process in a domestic microwave oven at different power inputs, the heating rate is found to range between 0.661 and 1.157°C/s which is considerably higher than that achieved using electrical heating (0.16–0.33°C/s). The bio-oil yield increases as the power input is increased from 500 to 700 W. The maximum bio-oil yield of 47% is obtained at 700 W. The GC-MS analysis of bio-oil has shown the presence of larger amounts of hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, very little amount of aromatics and zero sulphur-containing compounds. The fuel properties of bio-oil show that it is a non-acidic and safer fuel. The calorific value of bio-oil is 40% lower than diesel, and its viscosity is 8.5 times higher than diesel. The results reveal that the karanja seed could be pyrolyzed by microwave heating to produce bio-oil which can be used as fuel for diesel engines by suitably upgrading it by blending with diesel fuel.

Effective Depolymerization of Sodium Lignosulfonate over SO42−/TiO2 Catalyst

In this paper, liquefaction of sodium lignosulfonate (SL) over SO42−/TiO2 catalyst in methanol/glycerol was investigated. Effects of temperature, time, the ratio of methanol to glycerol and catalyst dosage were also studied. It was indicated that optimal reaction condition (the temperature of 160 °C, the time of 1 h, solvent ratio (methanol/glycerol) of 2:1, catalyst dosage of 5 wt % (based on lignin input)) was obtained after sets of experiments. The maximum yields of liquefaction (89.8%) and bio-oil (86.8%) were gained under the optimal reaction conditions. Bio-oil was analyzed by elemental analysis, FT-IR and gas chromatogram and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). It was shown that the functional groups of bio-oil were enriched and calorific value of bio-oil was increased. Finally, it can be seen from GC/MS analysis that the type of products included alcohols, ethers, phenols, ketones, esters and acids. Phenolic compounds mainly consisted of G (guaiacyl)-type phenols.

Production of bio-oil from coir pith via pyrolysis: kinetics, thermodynamics, and optimization using response surface methodology

This study evaluates the potentiality of coir pith, an agro-industry by-product, as a low-cost feed-stock for the production of bio-fuels and other value-added chemicals. Thermogravimetric analysis was done to evaluate kinetics, thermodynamic, and mechanistic models of coir pith pyrolysis process. Optimal pyrolysis condition was fixed by using response surface methodology (RSM) in combination with central composite design (CCD). Pyrolysis experiments were carried out by using a miniature fixed-bed reactor at the temperature range of 200–400 °C with the heating rates and nitrogen flow rate ranges of 20–40 °C/min and 70–200 ml/min, respectively. As suggested by the Design expert software, maximum yield of bio-oil (29.31%) can be obtained at temperature of 349.14 °C, heating rate of 21.58 °C/min, and nitrogen flow rate of 196.61 ml/min, which was very much similar to the experimental yield (29.02 ± 0.05%). The bio-oil obtained at this condition was characterized by elemental analysis and different spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques including 1H-NMR, FTIR, and GC-MS. The calorific value of bio-oil was found to be 28.38 MJ/kg. Characterization of bio-oil obtained at the optimum process condition indicates that produced bio-oil is a combination of aliphatic as well as aromatic hydrocarbons which can be represented by the empirical formula of CH1.80 N0.04 O0.35. This investigation also revealed that the kinetic and thermodynamic analyses can correctly predict the possible pyrolysis temperature range for coir pith pyrolysis. The results obtained from the present investigation therefore suggest the suitability of coir pith as a potential feedstock for the conversion of energy and value added chemicals.

Biomass co-pyrolysis: Effects of blending three different biomasses on oil yield and quality.

In the present study, pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse, poppy capsule pulp, and rice husk were conducted in a fixed bed reactor at 550⁰C in nitrogen atmosphere. The moisture (5%-8%), ash (4%-17%), volatile matter (60%-76%), and fixed carbon analyses (11%-24%) of the utilized biomass were conducted. The decomposition behavior of biomasses due to the heat effect was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis . In the pyrolysis of biomasses separately, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained with sugarcane bagasse (27.4%). In the co-pyrolysis of the binary blends of biomass, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained with the rice husk and sugarcane bagasse blends. While the mean bio-oil yield obtained with the separate pyrolysis of these two biomasses was 23.9%, it was observed that the bio-oil yield obtained with the co-pyrolysis of biomass blends was 28.4%. This suggested a synergistic interaction between the two biomasses during pyrolysis. It was observed that as the total ash content in the biomasses used in the pyrolysis increased, the bio-oil yield decreased, and the solid product content increased. Characterization studies of bio-oils were conducted by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. Results of these studies revealed that, all bio-oils were mainly composed of aliphatic and oxygenated compounds. The calorific values of bio-oils were determined by calorimeter bomb. Based on the GC-MS, the bio-oils with high fatty acid and its ester content also had high calorific values. The highest calorific value was 29.68 MJ kg-1, and this was obtained by pyrolysis of poppy capsule and sugarcane bagasse blend.

Pyrolysis of rapeseed oil cake in a fixed bed reactor to produce bio-oil

With increasing environmental issues, production of bio-fuel represents a viable source of renewable energy and constitutes an alternative for the replacement of fossil fuel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, the effect of particle size, pyrolysis temperature, carrier gas flow rate (N2) was analyzed for obtaining of bio-oil from pyrolysis process of rapeseed oil cake. Optimum parameters obtained for the maximum liquid quantity and bio-oil yield (≈49.8% and 38.7%, respectively) were particle size range ≤0.5 mm, 500°C and 100 mL/min (N2) carrier gas flow rate. The calorific value of bio-oil was of 36.25 MJ/kg and the characterization of bio-oil was performed by FTIR, GC–MS and NMR and this demonstrates that can be a viable alternative fuel for public transport and agriculture sectors.

Pyrolysis of sorghum bagasse biomass into bio-char and bio-oil products

The transformation of renewable biomass into valuable products as alternatives to fossil fuels is essential for sustainable energy in sustainable society. This work systematically investigates the pyrolysis of sorghum bagasse biomass into bio-char and bio-oil products and studies the effect of temperature (623–823 K) on the conversion of sorghum bagasse and products yields. The physicochemical properties of bio-char were thoroughly studied using powder X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis (CHNSO), scanning electronic microscope, calorific value (CV), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. Also, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), CV, and FTIR were used to understand the properties of bio-oil. The results obtained indicate that an increase in the pyrolysis temperature from 623 to 823 K leads to a decrease in the bio-char yield from 42.55 to 30.38%. On the other hand, the maximum bio-oil yield of 15.94% was obtained at 723 K. The bio-char obtained at 673 and 773 K was found by FTIR analysis to be composed of a highly ordered aromatic carbon structure. The calorific value of bio-oil, which contains a greater amount of acidic compounds, was found to be 6740 kcal/kg. The GC–MS analyses revealed the presence of octadecenoic acid, p-cresol, 2,6-dimethoxy phenol, 4-ethyl 2-methoxy phenol, phenol, o-guaiacol, and octadecanoic acid in the bio-oil obtained from the pyrolysis of sorghum bagasse biomass. The present study provides useful information for understanding the quality of bio-oil and bio-char obtained from high biomass sorghum bagasse.

Esterification of Microwave Pyrolytic Oil from Palm Oil Kernel Shell

Microwave pyrolysis is a potential for producing alternative fuel from biomass, such as palm kernel shell (PKS). However, the resulting microwave pyrolytic oil (bio-oil) was highly acidic and has low calorific value and therefore must undergo additional process to improve the physicochemical properties. In this study, attempt was made to improve the pH and calorific value of bio-oil produced from PKS via esterification process. The effect of esterification with ethanol in the presence of sulphuric acid as a catalyst on selected biodiesel qualities was also investigated. The esterification process has successfully improved the pH value from 3.37 to 5.09–5.12 and the calorific value was increased from 27.19 to 34.78–41.52 MJ/kg. Conclusively, the EO has comparatively better properties in terms of its smell, pH, calorific value, and absence of environmentally undesirable compounds. However, future works should include ASTM 6751 specifications tests for biodiesel to evaluate the bio-oil’s suitability for commercial use.

Catalytic co-pyrolysis of Eichhornia Crassipes biomaѕѕ and polyethylene using waste Fe and CaCO3catalysts

A wild aquatic plant, Eichhornia Crassipes, and polyethylene have been converted into liquid product thermo-catalytically and cost effectively through co-pyrolysis using batch steel pyrolyzer. The Fe and CaCO3 catalysts were obtained as wastes from various mechanical processes. The catalytic process was compared with non-catalytic pyrolysis. The effect of various reaction conditions was investigated in order to find out the optimized process conditions. It was found that the favorable reaction conditions were 450 °C temperature and 1-h reaction time at a heating rate of 1 °C/s and 0.4-mm biomass particle size. The bio-oil yield was found to be 34.4% and 26.6% using Fe and CaCO3 respectively with catalysts particle size of 0.4 mm at the optimized reaction conditions and 5 wt% of biomass. The non-catalytic and catalytic co-pyrolysis using Fe as catalyst produced 23.9% and 28.7% oil respectively. Thus the efficiency of processes in terms of bio-oil production was found in order of: Fe > CaCO3 > non-catalytic pyrolysis. The GC/MS analysis of n-hexane extract of bio-oil shows that Fe catalyst favors formation of aliphatic hydrocarbons while CaCO3 and non-catalytic pyrolysis favors formation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Mostly unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons were formed in case of co-pyrolysis reactions. The calorific value of bio-oil was also measured in order to find out the fuel properties of the products. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Yield and Calorific Value of Bio Oil Pyrolysed from Oil Palm Biomass and its Relation with Solid Residence Time and Process Temperature

Yield and Calorific Value of Bio Oil Pyrolysed from Oil Palm Biomass and its Relation with Solid Residence Time and Process Temperature

Improving Calorific Value and Reducing Corrosiveness of Biological Oils

In order to improve the calorific value of biological oils and reduce its corrosiveness, magnesium oxide and calcium oxide are added as reactants and carboxylic acid used to induce separation. This paper investigates the effects of using different magnesium oxide/calcium oxide molar ratios on the calorific value of bio-oil. Analysis of the results show that adding magnesia alone improves the quality of the water phase and the calorific value of the bio-oil. A MgO/CaO mole ratio of 9:1 improves the pH of the bio-oil from 2.5 to 6.5 and achieves a phase separation of m (oil phase) / m (water phase) = 75:25, as well as increasing the heating value of the oil by 19.29% from 16.819 MJ/kg to 20.063 MJ/kg. Note that MgO/CaO mole ratios with calcium oxide ratios greater than 9:1, only slightly increase the heating value of bio-oil overt the raw non-separated oil.

Composition of products obtained via fast pyrolysis of olive-oil residue: Effect of pyrolysis temperature

As an essential thermochemical process, pyrolysis is mainly dependent on temperature. Temperature affects mostly product distribution and composition. In this study, compositional analysis of the products obtained by thermal degradation of biomass at various pyrolysis temperatures (400, 500, 550 and 700 °C) with a constant heating rate (300 °C min −1) was studied. Calorific values of bio-oils were calculated and then compared with raw material. The liquid products obtained at various pyrolysis temperatures were subjected into column chromatography after removal of asphaltenes. Obtained bio-oils were classified as aliphatic, aromatic and polar sub-fractions. Composition of obtained gaseous products as regarding to temperature was determined. Moreover, proximate and ultimate analyses of chars were done. Van Krevelen diagram was demonstrated by plotting H/C and O/C ratios. It was concluded that pyrolysis temperature is effective on composition of products either gas, char or bio-oil.