Effect of mineral matter removal on pyrolysis of wood sawdust from an invasive species

L. I. GUREVICH; P. R. BONELLI; A. L. CUKIERMAN

ENERGY SOURCES PART A-RECOVERY UTILIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016 vol. 38 p. 551 - 557

1556-7036

Kinetics of the pyrolysis of wood sawdust from the invasive species Parkinsonia aculeata, untreated and demineralized by a mild acid treatment, is comparatively investigated in order to examine the effect of the removal of minerals naturally present in the biomass. Non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis from room temperature up to 500 °C is applied for this purpose. Demineralization shifts the process onset and the maximum degradation rate to higher temperatures, and leads to enhance the activation energy from 56 kJ/mol to 60 kJ/mol, pointing to a catalytic role of alkaline and alkaline earth metals in the biomass. Likewise, the three kinds of pyrolysis products (gas, bio-char and bio-oil) are obtained from experiments performed in a bench-scale installation at 500 °C. Yields and physicochemical characteristics of the pyrolysis products are determined. The pronounced reduction in the content of metals in the sawdust leads to increase bio-oil yield in around 10%, the specific surface area of the bio-char, from 2 m2 g-1 to 74 m2 g-1 and the higher heating value of all the pyrolysis products.