TG-MS analysis for studying the effects of fire retardants on the pyrolysis of pine-needles and their components

Thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) was used to study the effect of the inorganic salts (NH₄)₂SO₄ and (NH₄)₂HPO₄, active substances of many commercial forest fire retardants, on the pyrolysis of Pinus halepensis needles and their main components (cellulose, lignin and extractives). These salts seemed to affect the pyrolysis of cellulose by increasing significantly the char residue, decreasing the pyrolysis temperature and changing the composition of the evolved gases, that is, increasing levoglucosenone and decreasing oxygen containing volatile products. (NH₄)₂SO₄ seemed to have negligible effect on the pyrolysis of lignin, while (NH₄)₂HPO₄ increased the char residue and decrease the relative contribution of guaiacols in the evolved gases. No effects of the inorganic salts on the extractives were observed. Finally, the inorganic salts seemed to affect the pyrolysis of pine-needles, mainly the cellulose component, but the effects were not as intense as in the pyrolysis of cellulose.     

Solid/liquid- and vapor-phase interactions between cellulose- and lignin-derived pyrolysis products

Solid/liquid- and vapor-phase interactions between cellulose- and lignin (Japanese cedar milled wood lignin)-derived pyrolysis products were studied under the conditions of N₂/600 °C/40–80 s. A dual-space closed ampoule reactor was used to eliminate the solid/liquid-phase interactions, and careful comparison of the resulting data with those of the pyrolysis of the mixed samples gave some insights into the solid/liquid- and vapor-phase interactions separately. With the solid/liquid-phase interactions, the tar yields from both cellulose and lignin increased with the decreasing yields of the char fractions in a short pyrolysis time of 40 s (primary pyrolysis stage). Most of the identified tar components from cellulose and lignin increased in their yields. The vapor-phase interactions were significant at a longer pyrolysis time of 80 s (secondary reaction stage) when the methoxyl groups of the lignin-derived volatiles were cleaved homolytically. The vapor-phase interactions accelerated the gas formation from the cellulose-derived volatiles with suppressing the vapor-phase char formation of the lignin-derived volatiles. The yields of methane and catechols from lignin also increased greatly instead of the formation of o-cresols. Most of these influences are explained with a proposed interaction mechanism, in which the cellulose-derived volatiles act as H-donors while the lignin-derived volatiles (radicals) act as H-acceptors.     

Presence of 5-hydroxyguaiacyl units as native lignin constituents in plants as seen by Py-GC/MS

The presence of 5-hydroxyguaiacyl moieties in the lignin from several plants has been assessed by Py-GC/MS. Different woody (eucalypt) and nonwoody (flax, hemp, kenaf, jute, sisal and abaca) angiosperms were selected for this study. The pyrolysis of whole fibers released lignin-derived products with p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl structures. Indeed, a series of compounds having a 5-hydroxyguaiacyl nuclei, including 3-methoxycatechol, 5-vinyl-3-methoxycatechol and 5-propenyl-3-methoxycatechol, were detected and identified in all samples, although in lower amounts than the normal guaiacyl or syringyl compounds. The analysis of the lignins isolated from the same plants also showed the same 3-methoxycatechol derivatives found after whole fiber pyrolysis. These compounds are supposed to arise from the pyrolysis of 5-hydroxyguaiacyl moieties, which are supposed to be native constituents of lignin in plants forming benzodioxane substructures.     

Prediction of Klason lignin and lignin thermal degradation products by Py–GC/MS in a collection of Lolium and Festuca grasses

A rapid method for the analysis of biomass feedstocks was established to identify the quality of the pyrolysis products likely to impact on bio-oil production. A total of 15 Lolium and Festuca grasses known to exhibit a range of Klason lignin contents were analysed by pyroprobe–GC/MS (Py–GC/MS) to determine the composition of the thermal degradation products of lignin. The identification of key marker compounds which are the derivatives of the three major lignin subunits (G, H, and S) allowed pyroprobe-GC/MS to be statistically correlated to the Klason lignin content of the biomass using the partial least-square method to produce a calibration model. Data from this multivariate modelling procedure was then applied to identify likely “key marker” ions representative of the lignin subunits from the mass spectral data. The combined total abundance of the identified key markers for the lignin subunits exhibited a linear relationship with the Klason lignin content. In addition the effect of alkali metal concentration on optimum pyrolysis characteristics was also examined. Washing of the grass samples removed approximately 70% of the metals and changed the characteristics of the thermal degradation process and products. Overall the data indicate that both the organic and inorganic specification of the biofuel impacts on the pyrolysis process and that pyroprobe–GC/MS is a suitable analytical technique to asses lignin composition.     

On-line product analysis of pine wood pyrolysis using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry

The pyrolysis process of pine wood, a promising biofuel feedstock, has been studied with tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. The mass spectra at different photon energies and temperatures as well as time-dependent profiles of several selected species during pine wood pyrolysis process were measured. Based on the relative contents of three lignin subunits, the data indicate that pine wood is typical of softwood. As pyrolysis temperature increased from 300 to 700 °C, some more details of pyrolysis chemistry were observed, including the decrease of oxygen content in high molecular weight species, the observation of high molecular weight products from cellulose chain and lignin polymer, and potential pyrolysis mechanisms for some key species. The formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was also observed, as well as three series of pyrolysis products derived from PAHs with mass difference of 14 amu. The time-dependent profiles show that the earliest products are formed from lignin, followed by hemicellulose products, and then species from cellulose.

Screening of slow pyrolysis routes for maximum biofuel production from Syzygium malaccense biomass by TGA-FSD and chemometric tools

The dependence of oil and its consequent commercial fluctuation make researchers to seek viable alternatives for their gradual replacement. The present work aims to evaluate the production of biofuels from the slow pyrolysis of the Syzygium malaccense biomass (Malay Apple) through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTG), Fraser-Suzuki deconvolution and chemometric tools of multivariate analysis. Three chemical treatments (sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid) were evaluated, as well as the variation in the heating rate and the consequent effects on the pyrolysis of biomass for the production of biofuels, totaling 16 pyrolysis routes (including the use of biomass no treatment). In the obtained data, multivariate analysis tools were used, looking for groups that presented favorable characteristics for the production of quality biofuels. Heatmap, k-means and SOM analysis indicated the routes that use phosphoric acid treatment and heating rates of 10 or 15 °C/min (Jap10 and Jap15, respectively) as relevant, because they have low lignin contents and high gaseous cellulose and hemicellulose contents.

     

Thermal degradation of spruce needles studied by time-resolved mass spectrometry and multivariate data analysis

In a study related to the impact of air pollution on forests, needles from a healthy and a severely damaged Norway spruce tree were analysed by temperature-programmed pyrolysis/field ionization (FI) mass spectrometry. Dried and pulverized spruce needles were heated at a rate of 0.6°C s^?1 to 450°C in the high vacuum of a FI ion source. Over 100 mass spectra were recorded electrically during each analysis. From each mass spectrum, average molecular weights of the pyrolysis products were calculated; their variation with pyrolysis temperature is discussed. The mass spectra in the range m/z 100–600 are used to calculate partial weight-loss curves. The FI mass spectra are evaluated by principal component analysis and factor rotation. The three-factor spectra based on loadings of the rotated principal components show typical FI signals which are produced during pyrolysis at low, medium and high temperatures. These signal patterns are interpreted as molecular ions of thermally stable, relatively volatile plant constituents and molecular ions of thermal degradation products derived from the thermolysis of carbohydrates, lignin and other biopolymers which occur in conifer needles. Medium- and high-temperature products of lignin can be distinguished. Principal component scores can be used to simulate the appearance of single FI signals, i.e., pyrolysis products. The evaluation of time-resolved pyrolysis and soft ionization mass spectrometric data from a single sample by principal component analysis and factor rotation appears to be suitable for characterization of the major chemical components and their thermal behaviour in complex biological samples.     

Detecting changes in arabidopsis cell wall composition using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) was previously used to characterize lignocellulosic materials, including woody biomass. ToF‐SIMS can acquire both rapid spectral and spatial information about a sample's surface composition. In the present study, ToF‐SIMS was used to characterize the cell walls of stem tissue from the plant model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana. Using principal component analyses, ToF‐SIMS spectra from A. thaliana wild‐type (Col‐0), cellulose mutant (irx3), and lignin mutant (fah1) stem tissues were distinguished using ToF‐SIMS peaks annotated for wood‐derived lignocellulose, where spectra from the irx3 and fah1 were characterized by comparatively low polysaccharide and syringyl lignin content, respectively. Spatial analyses using ToF‐SIMS imaging furthermore differentiated interfascicular fiber and xylem vessels based on differences in the lignin content of corresponding cell walls. These new data support the applicability of ToF‐SIMS peak annotations based on woody biomass for herbaceous plants, including model plant systems like arabidopsis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of Cumene from Lignin by Catalytic Transformation

Cumene is an important intermediate and chemical in chemical industry.In this work,directional preparation of cumene using lignin was achieved by a three-step cascade process.The mixture aromatics were first produced by the catalytic pyrolysis of lignin at 450℃ over 1% Zn/HZSM-5 catalyst,monocyclic aromatics with the selectivity of 85.7 wt% were obtained.Then,the catalytic dealkylation of heavier aromatics resulted in benzene-rich aromatics with 93.6 wt% benzene at 600℃ over Hβ catalyst.Finally,the cumene synthesis was performed by the aromatic alkylation,giving cumene selectivity of 91.6 C-mol% using the[bmim]Cl-2AlCl₁₃ ionic liquid at room temperature for 15 min.Besides,adding a small amount of methanol to the feed can efficiently suppress the coke yield and enhance the aromatics yield.The proposed transformation potentially provides a useful route for production of cumene using renewable lignin.     

Micro-pyrolysis of technical lignins in a new modular rig and product analysis by GC–MS/FID and GC × GC–TOFMS/FID

A new offline-pyrolysis rig has been designed to allow multifunctional experiments for preparative and analytical purposes. The system conditions can be set and monitored, e.g. temperature, its gradients and heat flux. Some special features include (1) high heating rates up to 120 °C/s with pyrolysis temperatures up to 850 °C at variable pyrolysis times and (2) the selection of different atmospheres during pyrolysis. A complete mass balance of products and reactants (gas, liquids and solids) by gravimetric methods and sequential chromatographic analyses was obtained.The pyrolytic behaviour and the decomposition products of lignin-related compounds were studied under different conditions: heating rates (from 2.6 °C/s up to 120 °C/s), pyrolysis temperatures at 500 °C and 800 °C in different atmospheres (N₂, H₂, and mixtures of N₂ and acetylene). Kraft lignin, soda lignin, organosolv lignin, pyrolytic lignin from pine bio-oil, residues from biomass hydrolysis and fermentation were studied.The obtained pyrolysis products were classified into three general groups: coke, liquid phase and gas phase (volatile organic compounds (VOC) and permanent gases). The liquid fraction was analysed by GC–MS/FID. In addition, comprehensive two-dimensional GC was applied to further characterise the liquid fraction. VOCs were semi-quantified by a modified headspace technique using GC–MS/FID analysis. The micro-pyrolysis rig proved to be an efficient and useful device for complex pyrolysis applications.     

Kinetic study of wood chips decomposition by TGA

Pyrolysis of a wood chips mixture and main wood compounds such as hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin was investigated by thermogravimetry. The investigation was carried out in inert nitrogen atmosphere with temperatures ranging from 20°C to 900°C for four heating rates: 2 K min⁻¹, 5 K min⁻¹, 10 K min⁻¹, and 15 K min⁻¹. Hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin were used as the main compounds of biomass. TGA and DTG temperature dependencies were evaluated. Decomposition processes proceed in three main stages: water evaporation, and active and passive pyrolysis. The decomposition of hemicellulose and cellulose takes place in the temperature range of 200–380°C and 250–380°C, while lignin decomposition seems to be ranging from 180°C up to 900°C. The isoconversional method was used to determine kinetic parameters such as activation energy and pre-exponential factor mainly in the stage of active pyrolysis and partially in the passive stage. It was found that, at the end of the decomposition process, the value of activation energy decreases. Reaction order does not have a significant influence on the process because of the high value of the pre-exponential factor. Obtained kinetic parameters were used to calculate simulated decompositions at different heating rates. Experimental data compared with the simulation ones were in good accordance at all heating rates. From the pyrolysis of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin it is clear that the decomposition process of wood is dependent on the composition and concentration of the main compounds.     

Degradation of eucalypt waste components by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lentinula edodes</Emphasis> strains detected by chemical and near-infrared spectroscopy methods

There are many changes, both qualitative and quantitative, in eucalypt waste during growth and fructification of Lentinula edodes. Wet chemical analysis and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy were used in conjunction with multivariate regression and principal components analysis to monitor biodegradation of eucalyptus waste during growth of several L. edodes strains. Weight and component losses of eucalypt residue after biodegradation by L. edodes strains were compared for periods of 1 to 5 mo. Decrease in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents occurred, however it was not concomitant. Measurement of lignin degradation by NIR and wet chemical analysis indicated its attack in the early stages of biodegradation. Selective lignin degradation by L. edodes was observed up to 2 mo of biodegradation for strains DEBIQ and FEB-14. One group of degraded substrate was identified based on the principal component analysis (PCA) of the data on their biodegradation time. Samples treated for 5 months by L. edodes strains (DEBIQ, UFV or FEB-14) differed from other, but no discrimination was observed among them. By the end of 5 mo, NIR analyses showed decrease of about 18–47% cellulose, 35–47% polyose and 39–60% lignin. These data were used for comparison with those obtained by wet chemical method for the degradation of the substrate by other five L. edodes strains cultivated at the same conditons. NIR calibration developed in this study was proven to be perfectly suitable as an analytical method to predict the changes in lignocellulose composition during biodegradation.     

Analysis of the Active Compounds in Different Parts of the Schisandra chinensis Plant by Means of Pyrolysis-GC/MS

Summary. Different parts of the S. chinensis tree (seeds, seed shells, fruits, leaves, and shoots) were characterized by means of analytical pyrolysis – gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The samples were pyrolyzed at 350°C leading to the evaporation of the thermally stable lignans. Besides the quantification of the lignans deoxyschisandrin, gomisin N, schisandrin, wuweizisu C, gomisin A, and angeloylgomisin H, further information about the composition of the plant parts, such as lignin, terpene, fatty acid, and carbohydrate content, could be obtained. The results were compared to the ones obtained by supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide as well as literature data and were found to match.     

Structural features and thermal degradation properties of various lignin macromolecules obtained from poplar wood (Populus albaglandulosa)

Four different lignins obtained from poplar wood (milled wood lignin: ML, organosolv lignin: OL, ionic liquid lignin: IL and Klason lignin: KL) were subjected to several types of chemical/thermal analyses to compare their structural features and thermal decomposition properties. The ML, OL, IL and KL yield from poplar wood was 5.5, 3.9, 5.8, 19.5 wt%, respectively. Functional group analysis revealed that during the OL and KL extraction processes, the condensation reaction involved with phenolic hydroxyl groups of lignins significantly prevailed, which led to a highly condensed OL and KL structure. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that OL and KL thermal stability was much higher than that of ML and IL. The derivatization followed by reductive cleavage (DFRC) data showed that the thermal stability was highly associated with the frequency of arylglycerol-β-aryl ether (β-O-4) linkages in the lignin polymers. Pyrolysis-GC/MS (Py-GC/MS) analysis confirmed that acetic acid and several types of phenolic compounds were the main lignin pyrolysis products. The maximum sum of ML (13.8 wt%), OL (9.9 wt%) and IL (11.8 wt%) pyrolysis products was obtained at the pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C, whereas KL (1.6 wt%) was significantly lower due to its high thermal stability and condensation degree. The S- and G-type pyrolysis products (S/G) ratio varied from 1.61 to 1.93 for ML, 2.28 to 5.28 for OL, 2.06 to 2.86 for IL and 1.40 to 2.20 for KL, depending on the pyrolysis temperature, which ranged between 400 °C and 700 °C.     

Application of analytical pyrolysis for wood fire protection control

The effect of two flame-retardant compositions (A-76% potassium carbonate, B-67% sulphate ammonium) on the process of thermal degradation of wood and the composition of volatile products of pyrolysis has been investigated by the thermogravimetry and analytical pyrolysis methods. It has been shown that the effect of flame retardants manifests itself in the low-temperature region with the formation of more thermally stable intermediate carbonized products. Upon pyrolysis of wood under the action of the composition A, the mechanism of degradation of the lignin component changes, which manifests itself in a more than two-fold increase in the guaiacol and vinylguaiacol contents in the composition of volatile products and the inhibition of the formation of carbohydrates destruction products. It has been found that the composition B has a catalytic action mainly on the process of thermal depolymerization of cellulose, favouring the increase in the formation of levoglucosan and practically does not change the yield of lignin degradation products.     

Radical grafting on lignin. Part I. Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto hydrochloric acid lignin

By irradiation with gamma rays styrene was grafted onto hydrochloric acid lignin. When the graft polymers were subjected to nitrobenzene oxidation, the vanillin yields indicated two kinds of reaction occurring in the grafting. Polystyrene branches were separated from the graft polymers, and their M?_n were determined osmometrically. At grafting ratios of up to 100 the vanillin yields diminished proportionately with increasing grafting, and the M?_n of the branches, 5000, was unchanged. At grafting ratios of more than 100 the vanillin yields were constant, independent of the ratios, but the M?_n values of the branches increased with grafting. Paper chromatography of the aromatic acids obtained by oxidation of methylated lignin and the graft polymer indicated that isohemipic and metahemipic acids were more abundant in the acid fraction of the graft polymer than in the lignin itself. A qualitative mass analysis of the gaseous products evolving from the irradiated lignin showed the presence of hydrogen molecules only. Gamma-ray radiation brought about no change in the yields of vanillin. It was therefore concluded that radiation grafting on lignin at grafting ratios of less than 100 proceeded through the addition of the styrene polymer radicals to the aromatic nuclei of the lignin and that then branches propagated from the aliphatic part of the lignin, where C? H bond scission had been caused by the irradiation. The grafting sites of lignin would be C-5 and C-6 of the guaiacyl nucleus and, probably the β and γ carbon atoms of the aliphatic side chain of the lignin.     

Study on the thermal degradation of high performance fibers by TG/FTIR and Py-GC/MS

The thermal degradation behaviors of Kevlar 49, Kevlar 129 (Poly(p-phenylene terephthamide), Nomex (polyisophthaloyl metaphenylene diamine), and PBO(poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole)) fibers were measured by TG/FTIR and Py-GC/MS. The characteristic temperatures of the fibers in air were obtained by TG. It indicated that the initial degradation temperature of the PBO is the highest. The initial degradation temperature of Nomex fiber is the lowest, but the end decomposition temperature of Nomex is the highest. The gases released by the pyrolysis in air were mainly CO₂, CO, H₂O, NO, and HCN, also containing a small amount of NH₃, and the absorption peaks of CO₂ were the strongest. The results of Py-GC/MS showed that CO₂ and benzene were the most pyrolysis fragment. With the change of pyrolysis temperature, the chromatogram and mass spectra results take a large variety. The pyrolysates can help us to study the pyrolysis process of high performance fibers.     

Pyrolysis of lignin extracted from prairie cordgrass,aspen, and Kraft lignin by Py-GC/MS and TGA/FTIR

A study is undertaken to assess the effectiveness of lignin extracted from prairie cordgrass as a pyrolysis feedstock. The effects of variability of lignin source on fast and slow pyrolysis products are also investigated. To accomplish these goals, Py-GC/MS and TGA/FTIR are employed in the pyrolysis of three types of lignin: prairie cordgrass (PCG) lignin extracted from prairie cordgrass, aspen lignin extracted from aspen trees (hardwood), and synthetic Kraft lignin. Fast pyrolysis results from Py-GC/MS show that for PCG lignin, only ten of the detected compounds have relative peak area percentiles that exceed 2% and make up over 52% of the total area. For aspen lignin, excluding butanol that is used in the extraction process, only eight compounds are found to have relative peak areas exceeding 2% that make up over 52% of the total area. For Kraft lignin, only eight compounds exceeding 2% are found to make up more than 45% of the total area. Both techniques, Py-GC/MS and TGA/FTIR, indicate that PCG lignin releases more alkyls than aspen and Kraft lignin. TGA/FTIR results indicate that PCG lignin also releases by far the most light volatile products (<200 °C) while producing the least amount of char among the three types of lignin studied. These characteristics make PCG lignin a good choice in producing good quality bio-oil and thus decreasing upgrade requirements. Py-GC/MS results conclude that aspen lignin produces significantly more pyrolytic products than PCG lignin. This is indicative of the potential of aspen lignin to result in higher conversion rates of bio-oil than the other two lignins.     

Effect of lignin content on thermal degradation of wood pulp

A series of pulps containing between 3.6 and 23% of lignin was prepared by a careful delignification of a high-yield bisulfite pulp. The pulps were subjected to isothermal pyrolysis in a Perkin-Elmer TGS-1 thermobalance. The measurements were carried out at 8 different temperatures from 325 to 360°C under nitrogen atmosphere. The results obtained indicate that the effect of lignin on degradation depends strongly on temperature. Below 330°C, the rate of degradation varied only little with lignin. This variation becomes more important at temperatures above 330°C in that the rate of degradation increases with decreasing lignin content. The apparent activation energy of degradation ranges from 41.4 kcal mol^?1 at 23% of lignin to 67.0 kcal mol^?1 at 3.7% of lignin.