Pyrolysis as a Tool to Produce Fuels and Chemicals

A special issue of Biomass (ISSN 2673-8783).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2023) | Viewed by 4231

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Inorganic Chemistry Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90650-001, Brazil
Interests: pyrolysis; heterogeneous catalysis

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Guest Editor
Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40210-630, Brazil
Interests: pyrolysis; heterogeneous catalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the current, fast development of technology to generate fuel and chemicals from no fossil sources, biomass emerges as a cheap, universal, and ecological solution to face energy and environmental demands. Among these technologies, the pyrolysis of biomass is expected to fill the requirements of efficient generation of energy and the manufacture of chemicals to replace those from oil and natural gas. The pyrolysis of forestry and agricultural residues, algae, energy crops, municipal wastes, food wastes, animal wastes, and others represents not only a route for producing energy and chemicals but also a solution for waste accumulation in the environment, contributing to the quality of life.

This Special Issue aims to collect the most recent advances both in the processes and in catalyst development for converting biomass to biofuels and chemicals via pyrolysis. Thus, we invite you to submit original research, review articles, and opinions on the area of biomass pyrolysis to produce biofuels and chemicals. Papers concerning the operational issues of pyrolysis, such as equipment, process variables, and catalyst development and bio-oil upgrading are welcome, but other issues of pyrolysis are not excluded.

Prof. Dr. María Do Carmo Rangel
Prof. Dr. Carlos Augusto De Moraes Pires
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • biomass
  • pyrolysis
  • catalytic pyrolysis
  • wastes
  • biofuels
  • bioproducts
  • biorefinery
  • bio-oil

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 5585 KiB  
Article
Comparative Feasibility and Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Cotton Stalks Gasification and Pyrolysis
by Ioannis Vaskalis and Anastasia Zabaniotou
Biomass 2024, 4(1), 23-48; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomass4010002 - 2 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2237
Abstract
In a circular economy, significant emphasis is given to the energetic valorization of agricultural byproducts. Cotton stalks are suitable as a feedstock for the production of bioenergy due to their high energy content. This study’s main focal areas are the economic viability and [...] Read more.
In a circular economy, significant emphasis is given to the energetic valorization of agricultural byproducts. Cotton stalks are suitable as a feedstock for the production of bioenergy due to their high energy content. This study’s main focal areas are the economic viability and environmental implications of a system that can gasify or pyrolyze 25,500 tons of cotton stalk annually. To learn more about how gasification and pyrolysis affect the environment, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted. This analysis evaluates the whole value chain and covers all stages of the cotton supply chain from cradle to gate, including production, harvest, transportation, and utilization. According to the findings, both systems exhibit economic viability, generating sizable profits and having quick payback times. However, despite its larger initial expenditure of EUR 2.74 million, the pyrolysis unit ends up being the better option because it has a payback period of 1.58 years, a return on investment (ROI) of 58% and a net present value (NPV) of EUR 21.5 million. Gasification is still an economically attractive alternative with a lower initial investment (EUR 1.81 million), despite having a lower ROI (36%) and NPV (EUR 10.52 million), as well as a longer payback period (2.41 years). However, the environmental implications of the gasification option are generally higher than those of pyrolysis. The impacts of gasification on fossil depletion (FDP) were estimated to be 5.7 million kg oil eq., compared to 5.3 million kg oil eq. for pyrolysis. Similarly, gasification resulted in 41.55 million kg U235 eq. and pyrolysis in 41.5 million kg U235 eq. related to impacts on ionizing radiation (IRP_HE). Other impact categories that emerge as the most important are freshwater eutrophication (FEP) and marine eutrophication (MEP). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pyrolysis as a Tool to Produce Fuels and Chemicals)
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12 pages, 2560 KiB  
Article
Thermokinetic Study of Catalytic Pyrolysis of Medium-Density Fiberboards over Beta-Zeolite-Supported Platinum
by Mateus da Silva Carvalho, Francieli Martins Mayer, Ana Paula Stelzer de Oliveira, Doris Ruiz, Cesário Francisco das Virgens and Maria do Carmo Rangel
Biomass 2023, 3(3), 279-290; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomass3030017 - 16 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1411
Abstract
Catalytic pyrolysis is an attractive alternative for converting biomass into energy and chemicals, replacing fossil sources. Efficient catalysts can be used to remove compounds containing oxygen during pyrolysis, improving the bio-oil properties and thus being an important route towards sustainability. Catalytic pyrolysis of [...] Read more.
Catalytic pyrolysis is an attractive alternative for converting biomass into energy and chemicals, replacing fossil sources. Efficient catalysts can be used to remove compounds containing oxygen during pyrolysis, improving the bio-oil properties and thus being an important route towards sustainability. Catalytic pyrolysis of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) residues over platinum (1%) supported on beta zeolite was carried out using a biomass/catalyst ratio of 1.0/0.2. The catalysts were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, temperature-programmed reduction, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia. The thermokinetic and thermodynamic parameters were determined using the isoconversional and non-isothermal methods of Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), and Kissinger-Ahakira-Sunose (KAS). The Friedman method was the most adequate to describe the reaction and thermodynamic parameters. The results show that the catalysts promote the reduction in activation energy compared to non-catalytic pyrolysis. Non-impregnated and impregnated catalysts showed different activation energies and thus different reactions. The addition of platinum slightly increased the activation energy due to the promotion of reactions that require more energy, for example, cracking and coke deposition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pyrolysis as a Tool to Produce Fuels and Chemicals)
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