Saw dust pyrolysis: Effect of temperature and catalysts

- Saw dust pyrolysis had been carried out at different temperatures.
- In-situ cracking of bio-oil vapors carried out with the Y-zeolite catalyst.
- Bio-oil and bio-char were characterized using various techniques.
- Bio-oil can be used as blending stock with conventional fuel.

A systematic study of non-catalytic pyrolysis of saw dust has been carried out in a batch reactor (fixed bed mode) in the temperature range of 375-475 °C at the heating rate of 10 °C/min to optimize the reaction temperature for maximum liquid yield. Also, catalytic cracking of pyrolysis vapors was carried out using Y-Zeolite at 450 °C. Produced bio-oil has been characterized using elemental analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), 1H NMR and bio-char using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FT-IR and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). It has been observed that highest bio-oil yield of 26 wt.% was obtained at 450 °C without catalyst while the addition of catalyst reduces liquid yield. The obtained results showed that the bio-oil could be used as liquid fuel after upgradation and bio-char could be utilized for the generation of activated carbon.

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