Catalytic fast co-pyrolysis of biomass and food waste to produce aromatics: Analytical Py–GC/MS study

•We promoted the production of aromatics by catalytic fast co-pyrolysis process.•Co-pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C was optimal for the formation of aromatics.•Content of aromatics increased with increasing hydrogen to carbon effective ratio.•There was an apparent synergistic effect between biomass and food waste.

In this study, catalytic fast co-pyrolysis (co-CFP) of corn stalk and food waste (FW) was carried out to produce aromatics using quantitative pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS), and ZSM-5 zeolite in the hydrogen form was employed as the catalyst. Co-CFP temperature and a parameter called hydrogen to carbon effective ratio (H/Ceff ratio) were examined for their effects on the relative content of aromatics. Experimental results showed that co-CFP temperature of 600 °C was optimal for the formation of aromatics and other organic pyrolysis products. Besides, H/Ceff ratio had an important influence on product distribution. The yield of total organic pyrolysis products and relative content of aromatics increased non-linearly with increasing H/Ceff ratio. There was an apparent synergistic effect between corn stalk and FW during co-CFP process, which promoted the production of aromatics significantly. Co-CFP of biomass and FW was an effective method to produce aromatics and other petrochemicals.