Maximum Liquid Yield Research Articles

Optimization Studies on Catalytic Pyrolysis of Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Using L9 Taguchi Orthogonal Array

In this investigation, catalytic pyrolysis of empty fruit bunch (EFB) was studied and optimized in terms of bio-oil and char yields by using Taguchi L9 Orthogonal Array method. The effects of pyrolysis temperatures, catalyst loadings and particle sizes on the product yields were investigated and discussed in this paper. The catalytic pyrolysis is performed in a semi-batch reactor which is externally heated by an electrical vertical split tube furnace. Under the nitrogen flow rates of 60 ml/min, 80 ml/min and 100ml/ min, 15g of EFB biomass with the particle sizes of 100 µm, 250 µm, 500 µm were thermally decomposed at three pyrolysis temperatures of 573K, 673K and 773K, along with Zeolite HZSM-5 catalyst loadings of 1 wt%,5 wt% and 12 wt%. From the product analysis, a maximum liquid bio-oil yield of 64.4 wt% were obtained at catalyst loading of 1.5 wt.%, reaction temperature of 773K, nitrogen flow rate of 100 mL/min, and particle size of 250 µm. Meanwhile, at catalyst loading of 3.25 wt.%, reaction temperature of 773K,, nitrogen flow rate of 60 mL/min and particle size of 250 µm, the bio char yield formed was as low as 18.6 wt.% which could be mainly attributed to secondary cracking of char residue. The predicted maximum liquid yield and minimum bio char yield is validated with an experimental run at the corresponding predicted conditions.

Catalytic pyrolysis of natural algae over Mg-Al layered double oxides/ZSM-5 (MgAl-LDO/ZSM-5) for producing bio-oil with low nitrogen content

Cyanobacteria were catalytically pyrolyzed over Mg-Al layered double oxide/ZSM-5 composites (MgAl-LDO/ZSM-5) to produce bio-oil. MgAl-LDO/ZSM-5 with a Mg/Al molar ratio of four was proved to be the best catalyst. Under the optima condition that the final temperature was 823K, heating rate was 10K/min and catalyst/algae mass ratio was 0.75, a maximum yield of liquid (41.1%) was achieved at 823K with a heating rate of 10K/min and a catalyst/algae mass ratio of 0.75, which was much higher than the one obtained without catalyst. The element analysis results proved that this bio-oil had much lower O/C molar ratio and higher HHV. The GC–MS results showed that the bio-oil had less nitrogenous compounds. MgAl4-LDO/ZSM-5 was proved to be an applicable and effective catalyst to obtain bio-oil from catalytic pyrolysis of water-blooming algae.

Pyrolysis of pressure-sensitive adhesive wastes in a fixed-bed reactor

ABSTRACTPyrolysis of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) wastes have been investigated in a fixed-bed reactor with a heating rate of 20°C/min. PSA pyrolysis mainly occurs between 300 and 600°C. The maximum liquid yield was obtained at 550°C with a yield of 55.69%. Liquid product can be used as fuel or raw material for purifying 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, dehydroabietic acid, 2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene, and styrene. The main composition in gas is CO and CO2, followed by CH4 and H2. High content of ash in char limits the application in fuel, but might be used as an adsorption material after upgrading.

Thermo-chemical conversion of mango seed kernel and shell to value added products

Mango (Mangifera indica) is one of the popular fruits in India and many other tropical countries also. Mango seed weight is 30 − 45% of the total fruit weight which completely goes off as waste. In this study, Mango seed kernel (MSK) and Mango seed shell (MSS) were selected as a feed for pyrolysis for the production of bio-chemicals. Conventional pyrolysis of MSK and MSS was carried out in the range between 673 to 873K temperatures at a heating rate of 25Kmin−1. The optimum temperature for maximum yield of pyrolytic liquid was 823K and 848K for MSK and MSS with the corresponding yield of pyrolytic liquid of about 32.37% and 52.57% respectively. The composition analysis of MSK and MSS pyrolytic liquid revealed the presence of various valuable chemicals. It was noticed that MSS pyrolytic liquid contains about 27.63% d-allose, which is a rare sugar, whereas MSK contains 13.27% of levoglucosan along with furfural, furan, alcohol, aldehyde, benzene and various alkanes.

Characterisation of the pyrolysis oil derived from bael shell (aegle marmelos)

In the present work, bael shell (aegle marmelos) is used as the feedstock for pyrolysis, using a fixed bed reactor to investigate the characteristics of the pyrolysis oil. The product yields, e.g., liquid, char and gases are produced from the biomass at different temperatures with the particle size of 0.5-1.0 mm, at the heating rate of 150˚C/min. The maximum liquid yield, i.e., 36.23 wt.%, was found at 5500˚C. Some physical properties of the pyrolysis oil such as calorific value, viscosity, density, pH, flash point and fire point are evaluated. The calorific value of the bael shell pyrolysis oil was 20.4 MJ/kg, which is slightly higher than the biomass, i.e., 18.24 MJ/kg. The H/C and O/C ratios of the bio-oil were found as 2.3 and 0.56 respectively, which are quite higher than some other bio-oils. Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) analyses showed that the pyrolysis oil of bael shell is mostly composed by phenolic and acidic compounds. The results of the properties of the bael shell pyrolysis oil reveal the potential of the oil as an alternate fuel with the essential upgradation of some properties.

Influence of Zeolites and Mesoporous Catalysts on Catalytic Pyrolysis of Brominated Acrylonitrile–Butadiene–Styrene (Br-ABS)

Three zeolite materials (HY, Hβ, and HZSM-5) and two mesoporous solids (all-silica MCM-41 and active Al2O3) with different textural properties were investigated for their catalytic effects on the pyrolysis of brominated acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (Br-ABS). The results indicated that, in the absence of a catalyst, the maximum liquid yield was obtained from the pyrolysis of Br-ABS, including oil and wax. The addition of HY and Hβ zeolites significantly decreased the oil yield from 63.6 to 45 and 44.3 wt %, respectively, with a corresponding increase in the yields of wax and gas. HZSM-5 zeolite slightly changed the product distribution and increased the gas yield at the expense of wax. Noteworthy, the mesoporous catalyst of all-silica MCM-41 retained the oil production while significantly reduced the wax yield to 7.9 wt %. In terms of the composition of the oils, the catalysts could promote the formation of valuable single-ring aromatics in oils. Moreover, the catalysts exhibited pronounced debrominatio...

Pyrolysis of babool seeds (Acacia nilotica) in a fixed bed reactor and bio-oil characterization

With the growing awareness of environmental issues, production of biofuel has a potential to provide an alternative source of renewable energy sources. In the present work, the effect of pyrolysis temperature, particle size and sweep gas flow rate (N2) was investigated for production of bio-oil from pyrolysis of babool seeds (Acacia nilotica). Optimum conditions obtained for the maximum liquid and bio-oil yield (∼49% & 38.3%, respectively) were 500 °C, 100 cm3/min sweep gas flow rate (N2) and particle size range upto 0.4 mm. Bio-oil with a calorific value of 36.45 MJ/kg was characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, GC/MS. The characterization of bio-oil indicates that it can be an alternative fuel for transportation sector.

Microwave-enhanced pyrolysis of natural algae from water blooms

Microwave-enhanced pyrolysis (MEP) of natural algae under different reaction conditions was carried out. The optimal conditions for bio-oil production were the following: algae particle size of 20-5 mesh, microwave power of 600W, and 10% of activated carbon as microwave absorber and catalyst. The maximum liquid yield obtained under N2, 10% H2/Ar, and CO2 atmosphere was 49.1%, 51.7%, and 54.3% respectively. The energy yield of bio-products was 216.7%, 236.9% and 208.7% respectively. More long chain fatty acids were converted into hydrocarbons by hydrodeoxygenation under 10% H2/Ar atmosphere assisted by microwave over activated carbon containing small amounts of metals. Under CO2 atmosphere, carboxylic acids (66.6%) were the main products in bio-oil because the existence of CO2 vastly inhibited the decarboxylation. The MEP of algae was quick and efficient for bio-oil production, which provided a way to not only ameliorate the environment but also obtain fuel or chemicals at the same time.

A critical comparison of pyrolysis of cellulose, lignin, and pine sawdust using an induction heating reactor

Fast pyrolysis of pinewood sawdust and two of its major components, namely lignin and cellulose was carried out using a laboratory scale induction-heating reactor. The effect of five different temperatures (500, 550, 600, 650 and 700°C) was tested on the product yield and quality. The products were characterized to evaluate the water content, elemental composition, chemical composition and energy content. The char yield decreased with temperature for all of the biomasses. The maximum liquid yield of 55.28% was achieved at 600°C for pine sawdust, and the highest liquid yields for cellulose and lignin were obtained at 500°C. Water content in the liquid fraction decreased as reaction temperature increased. The GC–MS revealed that the bio-oil from cellulose was rich in anhydrosugars while majority of the liquid from lignin had high phenolic contents. Analysis of the gas fraction shows that as the temperature increases the gas yield increases, which, when paired with the declining char masses, showed an increase in the biomass breakdown at higher temperatures. Liquid fraction from pine sawdust has the highest HHV with a peak at 550°C.

Exhaustive study of products obtained from coconut shell pyrolysis

The present scenario of energy crisis could decipher by enhancing the energy generation using the abundant resources of biomass-waste. Coconuts are aplenty available tropical biomass.The pyrolysis experiments were carried out at a temperature range between 450°C–600°C at a constant heating rate of 20°C/min. The maximum liquid yield was 49.5% at a temperature of 575°C. The obtained artefact at an optimum condition was analyzed for the fuel properties, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis. Results inferred that the liquid product could be utilized as the alternative fuel and staple resources for valuable chemicals. The calorific value of carbonaceous residual bio-char obtained was 23.68MJ/kg thus it could also be potentially utilized as solid fuel.

Characterization of the Liquid Product Obtained by the Pyrolysis of a Bicycle Tube

Bicycle tube, which contributes to a major percent in polymeric wastes, was pyrolyzed in a batch reactor made of stainless steel from a temperature range of 450 to 750°C at a heating rate of 20°C min to produce liquid fuels. The maximum liquid yield was 49.95% at a temperature of 700°C. The pyrolytic oil was characterized for composition using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry and also for its fuel properties using IS methods. The major components of the oil include alkanes, alkenes, and aromatics. The fuel properties of the pyrolytic products encourage their use as replacement for conventional liquid fuel.

The pyrolysis of lipid-extracted residue of Tribonema minus in a fixed-bed reactor

The pyrolysis of lipid-extracted residue of Tribonema minus has been performed in a fixed-bed reactor. In this paper the influence of nitrogen flow rate and pyrolysis temperature on products yields and composition were investigated. The maximum liquid yield of 29.82wt.% was obtained at 450°C with 50mlmin−1 nitrogen flow rate. The major compounds of liquid product from microalgae were carbonyls, hydrocarbons and nitrogenous compounds with a high proportion of oxygen. CO2 and CO were the main compositions of gas and their contents changed with pyrolysis temperature. The comparison of product yields and properties was made among lipid-extracted residue of T. minus, reeds and woody chips pyrolyzed under similar conditions. The liquid product from microalgal residue contained more alkane/alkene and less aromatics than that from lignocellulose biomass.

Simulation of biofuel production via fast pyrolysis of palm oil residues

The main purpose of this present work is to optimize the biofuel production from the fast pyrolysis of three palm oil residues, namely palm shell (PS), empty fruit bunch (EFB) and mesocarp fiber (MF). Hence, a biofuel process is simulated using SuperPro Designer (SPD) software. The simulation includes pretreatment, fast pyrolysis, product collection, and upgrading sections. The developed SPD model was validated firstly with published data of the fast pyrolysisof wood oak in fluidized bed reactor. Secondly, the influence of the operating conditions such as pyrolysis reactor temperature and residence time on the fast pyrolysis of the different residues was examined. The obtained results indicate that temperature at 550°C is suitable for obtaining a maximum liquid yield. Moreover, it was found that 0.5s is the optimized residence time to maximize this liquid yield. Above the optimum residence time, an increase in the gas fraction and a decrease of the bio-oil and char fractions are observed. Comparison of the different residues indicates that the higher yield of liquid fraction was obtained from the EFB and MF while pyrolysis of the PS produced a higher yield of char. These product yields were strongly correlated to the biomass polymer components. The obtained correlation was in agreement with the products yields found in literature for various biomass sources. The developed model provides very useful information about different conditions of pyrolysis for oil palm residues and product yields. Moreover, the model can be generalized and help to assist in the optimization of the fast pyrolysis process of different biomass without performing heavy experimental investigations. Such model will contribute strongly to the intensification and the improvement of the biomass fast pyrolysis.

Thermolysis of Medical Waste (Waste Syringe) to Liquid Fuel Using Semi Batch Reactor

Disposable syringe is one of the major items in the medical waste. Polypropylene (PP) is the main constituent of several syringes, but the most of them have the body from PP and the piston from high density polyethylene. These plastics have a high potential as hydrocarbons sources for chemical industry. In this study, Pyrolysis of waste syringes was performed in a semi-batch reactor made up of stainless steel at a temperature range of 400–550 °C and at a heating rate of 20 °C min−1. Maximum (83 wt%) liquid yield was obtained at temperature 450 °C. FT-IR analysis of the pyrolysis oil indicated the presence of alkanes, alkenes and aromatics rings. From GC–MS analysis, it was found that the pyrolysis oil contains around 25 types of compounds having carbon chain length in the range of C10–C20. The physical properties of the pyrolysis oil were close to mixture of diesel and petrol.

Study of destructive processing of hydrocarbons in inorganic melts. Influence of control parameters

This article is devoted to the study of the destructive processing of hydrocarbons of different composition in inorganic melts. With the help of established methods of laboratory studies it is obtained reliable experimental data on the basis of which the influence of the main control parameters of the process is defined. it is determined an influence of the chemical composition of the melt temperature (in the range 400-600 °C) and contact times (in the range of 0,09-0,27 sec) on the composition and yield of the products in the processing of crude oil, black mineral oil, fuel oil, straight-run gasoline and n-hexane. Researches were conducted using melts of binary eutectic mixtures of metal chlorides (LiCl-KCl, NaCl-CuCl, CuCl-ZnCl 2 , NaCl-ZnCl 2 , KCl-ZnCl 2 , NaCl-MgCl 2 , CuCl-CaCl 2 , KCl-FeCl 3 ), and also Pb-Sn. The optimal process conditions are virtually identical to the raw material of any composition when the maximum liquid yield temperature of about 500 ° C, contact time – from 0,15-0,20 sec, melts – a mixture of metal chlorides with ZnCl 2 or FeCl 3 . Processing of hydrocarbons in optimal conditions can increase the yield of light oil products for crude oil – by 22,1-23,9 %, for black mineral oil – by 23,7-25,9 %; to increase the octane number of straight-run gasoline by 26 points, mainly due to increase in the yield of isoparaffins; obtain a high yield of isomers in the processing of individual hydrocarbons (to 28,9 % from n-hexane).

Pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds using a screw-conveyor reactor

The fast pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds using a compact, transportable, screw conveyor reactor for producing bio-oil was studied. A two-factor, five-level, central composite response surface experiment was completed to formulate a statistical model that relates reactor temperature (429–550°C) and residence time (23–42s, controlled by the screw rotation rate) to bio-oil yield and quality. Regression analysis of model fits with experimental data showed that temperature and residence time had a significant effect (p<0.05) on bio-oil yield. Highest bio-oil yield (61.8%) was observed at 500°C while the highest char yield (20.6 % w/w) was produced at the lowest temperature of 429°C. Bio-oil yields increased with screw speed and decreasing residence time. The model predicted a maximum liquid yield of 61.7% and an accompanying char yield of 17.1% at 505°C (778K) and 70rpm. In addition to containing oxygenated organic compounds typical of bio-oils, spent coffee bio-oil also contains more hydrophobic compounds (>20% peak area) such as fatty acids, fatty acid esters, medium-chain paraffins, olefins, and caffeine. Because of the abundance of spent coffee grounds and the quality of its bio-oil, this waste stream offers potential as a valuable bioenergy feedstock.

Experimental proof of concept for a sustainable End of Life Tyres pyrolysis with energy and porous materials production

The present work addresses the importance of pyrolysis to manage waste tyres from a cleaner production and circular economy approach. Optimisation of End of Life Tyres (ELT) pyrolysis conditions, targeting to high added value products, requires further investigation, extensive products characterisation and standardisation. The experimental investigation and technical assessment of ELT pyrolysis in a batch rotary kiln reactor is addressed in the current study. Temperature, heating rate and particle size effects on product yields were studied. Yields and properties of the pyrolytic products are pointed out, with special attention given to the liquid fraction (properties as alternative fuel) and to solid fraction (highlighting its properties as activated carbon precursor). At pyrolysis temperature of 550 °C, heating rate of 20 °C/min and atmospheric pressure, tyre shredders of 15–20 mm particle size gave a maximum liquid yield of 51.8 wt%, while gas and char reached 12.1 wt% and 35.5 wt% respectively. The gaseous and liquid fractions obtained, exhibited high calorific values of 23.8 MJ/m3 and 40.8 MJ/kg, respectively. Activation of solid fraction (char) with KOH (weight ratio 4:1) resulted in the production of a porous material exhibiting a N2 BET surface area of 402 m2/g.

Sewage sludge valorization by flash pyrolysis in a conical spouted bed reactor

Sewage sludge valorization by flash pyrolysis has been carried out in a conical spouted bed reactor with continuous biomass feed and char removal. The effect of temperature on product yields and composition has been studied in the 450–600°C range and a maximum liquid yield of 77wt.%daf (dry and ash free basis) has been obtained at 500°C. The liquid collected has a water content of 23–27wt.% and is mainly composed of oxygen-containing compounds (phenols, ketones and acids amongst others), whose yield decreases with temperature, and nitrogen-containing compounds, such as amides and pyrroles. In addition, the importance of an efficient char removal system has been assessed by operating with and without char accumulation in the bed. The char fraction retains most of the heavy metals contained in the sludge and they may have applications in agriculture or as adsorbent.

Effects of temperature and composite alumina on pyrolysis of sewage sludge

An interactive dual-circulating fluidized bed system has been proposed in which the pyrolysis of sewage sludge (SS) and incineration of biomass proceed simultaneously, and alumina is used as the bed material and heat carrier. The alumina coated with biomass ash would mix with sewage sludge in the pyrolysis reactor of this device. It is important to know the influence of composite alumina (CA) on the pyrolysis progress. Sewage sludge was pyrolyzed in a fixed bed reactor from 400 to 600°C using CA as catalyst. The effects of temperature and CA additive ratio on the products were investigated. The product yields and component distribution of non-condensable gas were more sensitive to the change of temperature, and the maximum liquid yield of 48.44wt.% and maximum Useable Energy of Liquid of 3871kJ/kg sludge were observed at 500°C with 1/5 CA/SS (mass ratio). The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry results showed that the increase of temperature enhanced devolatilization of organic matter and promoted cyclization and aromatization of aliphatics. The presence of CA could strengthen secondary cracking and interaction among primary products from different organic compounds, such as acid–amine condensation, and reduce the content of oxygenated compounds. When the CA additive amount exceeded a certain proportion, the aromatization was clearly strengthened. The effects of CA on decomposition of fatty acids and formation of aromatics were similar to that of temperature. This means that the reaction temperature could be lowered by introducing CA, which has a positive effect on reducing energy consumption.

Study on Effects of Different Operating Parameters on the Pyrolysis of Biomass: A Review

The conversion of biomass by thermochemical routes is most promising for the substitution of fossil fuels. Pyrolysis is a process used to produce pyrolytic oil, char and gas in the absence of oxygen at temperature of500-800°C. The main objective of the paper is to discuss the effects of various parameters on the conversion and oil yield. The operating parameters include temperature, residence time, heating rate, catalyst, size of biomass particles and moisture content of biomass. It is observed that temperature is the most influencing parameter. The temperature range of 500–550°C is suitable for maximum liquid yield. Due to the complexity of biomass, it is difficult to get biofuels with high purity and high yield. Components of the biomass, that islignin, hemicellulose and cellulose affect the final product. More the amount of cellulose and hemicellulose in biomass increases the yield of bio-oil. This paper reviews the effects of operating parameters on pyrolysis products so that conversion of the biomass will be done effectively and economically.