Comparative study of the pyrolysis of lignocellulose and its major components: Characterization and overall distribution of their biochars and volatiles

• Significant elemental difference was not found among biochars from different samples.
• Carbonyl compounds were the major volatiles of polysaccharide pyrolysis.
• Aromatic compounds were the major volatiles of lignin pyrolysis.
• Except lignin, lignocellulosic material pyrolysis was mainly occurred at 200–400 °C.

In order to investigate the pyrolysis differences among lignocellulose and its major components, the biochars and volatiles of lignocellulose (bamboo), lignin, hemicellulose and holocellulose (from bamboo), and cellulose (from cotton linter) were studied using elemental analysis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, Py-GC/MS and TGA–FTIR. Result showed that the biochar yield of lignin (48.8%) was much higher than those of hemicellulose (21.1%), cellulose (8.3%), holocellulose (20.4%) and bamboo (15.1%), while no obvious elemental difference among these biochars was found. Results from Py-GC/MS indicated that carbonyl compounds, ethers and alcohols were the major volatiles of polysaccharide component pyrolysis, while aromatic compounds were the major volatiles of lignin pyrolysis. The pyrolysis of polysaccharide component mainly occurred at 200–400 °C, while the pyrolysis of lignin happened at 300–700 °C.