Pyrolysis of Eucalyptus wood in a fluidized-bed reactor

Thermogravimetric Analysis-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Study on the Effect of Extraction Pretreatment on the Pyrolysis Properties of Eucalyptus Wood Waste

Eucalyptus wood is one of the important hardwood resources with attractive properties of rapid growth and good quality, which are widely used for the manufacture of wood-based boards, furniture, pulp and paper, and so on. In order to explore the potential of sawdust waste from the eucalyptus wood furniture factory as a bioenergy feedstock, its pyrolysis properties after different solvent extractions were examined using thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The mass ratio of extractives in eucalyptus wood sawdust by benzene-alcohol, hot water, and sodium hydroxide solution was 4.25, 9.68, and 16.11%, respectively. After extraction, the thermal decomposition process of eucalyptus wood was promoted with a higher weight loss rate, lower activation energy, and lower residue content compared to the raw sample without pretreatment, and the promotion level was positively correlated to the strength of extracting solvent. CO₂, CO, CH₄, H₂O, acids, aldehydes, aromatics, ethers, and alcohols were identified as the important intermediates in pyrolysis vapors, which can be tuned by different extraction pretreatments. In terms of typical gas products, benzene-alcohol enhanced the release of carbon dioxide, and hot water enhanced the water generation from dehydration reactions and slightly increased the production of carbon monoxide, while sodium hydroxide promoted the formation of methane at the early stage under 280 °C and later stage over 460 °C during the pyrolysis of eucalyptus wood. It is believed that the extraction pretreatment can not only obtain the bioactive extractive products but also benefit the pyrolysis process by lowering the energy barrier and tuning the composition of pyrolysis products.

Utilization of fly ash-derived HZSM-5: catalytic pyrolysis of Jatropha wastes in a fixed-bed reactor

Fly ash-derived HZSM-5 catalyst was first applied in the catalytic pyrolysis of Jatropha residues in a semi-continuous fixed-bed reactor. The catalytic performance of HZSM-5 catalysts prepared from chemicals including conventional hydrothermal HZSM-5, Ni/HZSM-5 by ion exchange, and commercial HZSM-5 (Si/Al = 30) was evaluated for comparison. Catalytic pyrolysis of Jatropha residues with HZSM-5 catalysts was investigated in terms of product yields and qualities of bio-oil and bio-char. The liquid yield produced from fly ash-derived HZSM-5 was 29.4%, which was comparable to those obtained from chemicals and commercial (30.2-32.2%). Fly ash-derived HZSM-5 had high efficiency in increasing desirable compounds such as aliphatics and phenols as well as decreasing oxygenates and particularly N-containing compounds in bio-oils. The higher heating values and pH value of catalytic bio-oil achieved from fly ash-derived HZSM-5 were comparable to those achieved from HZSM-5 prepared from chemicals and commercial. The bio-char had 48-50 wt% carbon and was classified as mesoporous material. Overall, HZSM-5 derived from fly ash showed potentials to use as a catalyst for catalytic pyrolysis application.

Application of denitrifying wood chip bioreactors for management of residential non-point sources of nitrogen

Two important and large non-point sources of nitrogen in residential areas that adversely affect water quality are stormwater runoff and effluent from on-site treatment systems. These sources are challenging to control due to their variable flow rates and nitrogen concentrations. Denitrifying bioreactors that employ a lignocellulosic wood chip medium contained within a saturated (anoxic) zone are relatively new technology that can be implemented at the local level to manage residential non-point nitrogen sources. In these systems, wood chips serve as a microbial biofilm support and provide a constant source of organic substrate required for denitrification. Denitrifying wood chip bioreactors for stormwater management include biofilters and bioretention systems modified to include an internal water storage zone; for on-site wastewater, they include upflow packed bed reactors, permeable reactive barriers, and submerged wetlands. Laboratory studies have shown that these bioreactors can achieve nitrate removal efficiencies as high as 80-100% but could provide more fundamental insight into system design and performance. For example, the type and size of the wood chips, hydraulic loading rate, and dormant period between water applications affects the hydrolysis rate of the lignocellulosic substrate, which in turn affects the amount and bioavailability of dissolved organic carbon for denitrification. Additional field studies can provide a better understanding of the effect of varying environmental conditions such as ambient temperature, precipitation rates, household water use rates, and idle periods on nitrogen removal performance. Long-term studies are also essential for understanding operations and maintenance requirements and validating mathematical models that integrate the complex physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring in these systems. Better modeling tools could assist in optimizing denitrifying wood chip bioreactors to meet nutrient reduction goals in urban and suburban watersheds.