Chemical composition of bio-oils produced by fast pyrolysis of two energy biomass

ABSTRACT

In this study, bio-oils from fast pyrolysis of West African cordia (Cm) and Africana birch (Al) sawdust were analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyzer. The chemical composition of bio-oil was analyzed for quality, stability or suitability for downstream upgrading. Proximate and elemental analyses were carried out using iso-conversional methods and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) technique, respectively. Results of the study show that volatile matter, fixed carbon, ash content and moisture content of Cm and Al are 80.03, 10.25, 1.70% and 8.02%, and 75.83, 10.28, 3.81% and 10.08%, respectively. The results of the elemental analysis show that the contents of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur for Cm and Al are 24.76, 3.00, 0.70, 70.57 and 0.97%, and 29.20, 0.44, 0.88, 68.15 and 1.33%, respectively. The higher heating value (HHV) of the bio-oil, bio-char and pyro-gas obtained from the biomass samples ranged from 64.35 to 66.65 MJ/kg, 18.95 to 22.25 MJ/kg and 20.45 to 23.65 MJ/kg, respectively. Results of analytical Py-GC/MS showed that the proportion of phenolic compounds identified is more than 50%, with trans-2-octadecadecen-1-ol, cis-10-pentadecen-1-ol, 9-octadecenal, methyl-1-cyclohexenyl ketone showing dominance. This study established that pyro-fuel not only can be used as fuel but can also be purified and serve as raw materials for chemical and processing industries.

KEYWORDS:

• Thermo-gravimetric analysis
• Africana birch
• West African cordia
• biomass
• analytical pyrolysis

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the technical support received from Balogun A.O. and Hui Li of TGA in the cause of carrying out this research. Also, the assistance of Ololade Z.S. is also appreciated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).