Biofuel production from distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) co-fed with waste agricultural plastic mulching films via microwave-assisted catalytic fast pyrolysis using microwave absorbent and hierarchical ZSM-5/MCM-41 catalyst

Microwave-assisted catalytic fast co-pyrolysis (co-MACFP) of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and waste agricultural plastic mulching films (WAPMFs) with SiC as microwave absorbent and hierarchical ZSM-5/MCM-41 as catalyst are implemented in a microwave-induced reactor. MCM-41 mesoporous structure is formed in hierarchical ZSM-5/MCM-41 catalyst as the outer shell layer coupled with ZSM-5 as the inside core. Experimental results show that the use of both microwave absorbent and hierarchical ZSM-5/MCM-41 catalyst significantly increase the carbon yield of hydrocarbons in bio-oil. The influence of co-MACFP temperature and the mass ratio of WAPMFs to DDGS (W/D ratio) on product distribution and hydrocarbon composition is investigated. The total liquid yield and total hydrocarbon carbon yield in bio-oil first increase with the augment of temperature from 500 to 650 °C, and then decrease when temperature continues to rise. Besides, a higher W/D ratio can favor bio-oil production and retard coke formation, and a significant synergy between DDGS and WAPMFs is observed during co-MACFP. Additionally, from the perspective of hydrocarbon carbon yield in bio-oil, W/D ratio of 1.0 is the best option.