Catalytic Conversion of Pyrolysis Tar to Produce Green Gasoline-Range Aromatics

Pyrolysis oils derived from wood biomass attracted the attention of many researchers due to their potential as a source of sulfur-free environmentally-friendly fuel. In this study, we attempted to generate gasoline-range aromatics from pyrolysis tar derived from rubber wood. Catalytic cracking of the pyrolysis tar was conducted using an HZSM-5 catalyst in a dual reactor. The effects of reaction temperatures (400-600 °C), catalyst weights (1-5 g), and nitrogen flow rates (3-10 mL/min) were investigated to determine their effects on the yield of organic liquid product (OLP) and the percentage of gasoline aromatics in the OLP. The maximum OLP yield was about 28.33 wt%, achieved at 536 °C and a catalyst weight of 3.5 g. The maximum percentage of gasoline aromatics was about 54 wt%, obtained at 575 °C with a catalyst weight of 5 g. Though, the yield of gasoline aromatics was low, the anticipated components, i.e., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), were detected in the OLP proving that green gasoline aromatics can be produced from rubber wood pyrolysis tar via zeolite cracking