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.     

废轮胎回转窑中试热解油的理化性质

研究了回转窑中试反应器中废轮胎热解所得液体产物油的品质。热解反应在中温段(450℃～650℃)进行，油产率在500℃有最大值45.1%，此后随温度升高而呈下降趋势。对热解油的品质进行了考察，获取了热解油的完整实沸点蒸馏曲线。结果表明，热解油品质较轻，200℃以下轻馏分总量高达33%～40%，而且热解温度的升高也有助于增加轻馏分含量。对各馏分进一步的FT-IR分析显示，较高热解温度下热解油具有较强的芳香性，并可从谱图中识别出苯、萘及其烷基衍生物等芳香类物质。600 ℃和500 ℃热解油低馏分FT-IR分析结果体现了热解芳烃类物质生成的Diels-Alder反应途径。     

Separation and characterization of products from thermal cracking of individual and mixed polyalkenes

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and their mixture in the mass ratio of 1: 1 (LDPE/PP) were thermally decomposed in a batch reactor at 450°C. The formed gaseous and oil/wax products were separated and analyzed by gas chromatography. The oils/waxes underwent both atmospheric and vacuum distillation. Densities, molar masses and bromine numbers of liquid distillates and distillation residues were determined. The first distillate fraction from the thermally decomposed LDPE contained mostly linear alkanes and alk-1-enes ranging from C₆ to C₁₃ (boiling point up to 180°C). The second distillate fraction was composed mostly of hydrocarbons C₁₁ to C₂₂ (boiling point up to 330°C). 2,4-Dimethylhept-1-ene was the major component of the first distillate fraction obtained from the product of PP decomposition, while in the 2nd distillate fraction it was 2,4,6,8-tetramethylundec-1-ene. The yields of some gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons obtained by distillation from thermally degraded LDPE/PP differed from the values corresponding to the decomposition of individual plastics due to the mutual influence of polyalkenes during their thermal cracking. Similarly, the yields of propene and methylpropene in the gaseous phase were higher in the case of mixture. Whereas the content of C₉ to C₁₇ alkanes and alkenes in the distillates separated from the liquid mixture obtained by the decomposition of LDPE/PP decreased, the formation of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexamethylpentadec-1-ene remained unchanged. The corresponding mechanisms of thermal cracking were discussed.     

Copyrolysis of scrap tires with oily wastes

In this study, the conversion of hazardous wastes into liquid fuels was investigated. The pyrolysis of bilge water oil and oil sludge from ships, scrap tires and their blends was carried out at 400 and 500 °C in absence and presence of catalyst. A commercial fluid catalytic cracking catalyst and Red Mud were used as catalyst. Pyrolysis products were separated as gas, oil and char. The pyrolytic oils were characterized by using gas chromatography-mass selective detector (GC-MSD) and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR). The effect of temperature and catalyst on the product distribution and the composition of oil from pyrolysis were investigated. Co-pyrolysis of scrap tire with oily wastes from ships produced oil that could be used as fuel, while its pyrolysis alone produced oil that could be used as a chemical feedstock. The results obtained in this study showed that co-pyrolysis of oily wastes with scrap tires could be an environmentally friendly way for the transformation of hazardous wastes into valuable products such as chemicals or fuels.     

Characterization of the water-insoluble pyrolytic cellulose from cellulose pyrolysis oil

Water-insoluble pyrolytic cellulose with similar appearance to pyrolytic lignin was found in cellulose fast pyrolysis oil. The influence of pyrolysis temperature on pyrolytic cellulose was studied in a temperature range of 300–600 °C. The yield of the pyrolytic cellulose increased with temperature rising. The pyrolytic cellulose was characterized by various methods. The molecular weight distribution of pyrolytic cellulose was analyzed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Four molecular weight ranges were observed, and the M_w of the pyrolytic cellulose varied from 3.4 × 10³ to 1.93 × 10⁵ g/mol. According to the elemental analysis (EA), the pyrolytic cellulose possessed higher carbon content and lower oxygen content than cellulose. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the pyrolytic cellulose underwent thermo-degradation at 127–800 °C and three mass loss peaks were observed. Detected by the pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), the main pyrolysis products of the pyrolytic cellulose included saccharides, ketones, acids, furans and others. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) also demonstrated that the pyrolytic cellulose had peaks assigned to CO stretching and glycosidic bond, which agreed well with the Py-GC/MS results. The pyrolytic cellulose could be a mixture of saccharides, ketones, and their derivatives.     

Hydrodesulfidation of the diesel fraction of pyrolytic fuel on polymetallic catalyst

Results are presented of a study of the liquid product formed in pyrolysis of automobile tires and fractions of this product. The diesel fraction of the pyrolytic liquid fuel was hydrodesulfided on a polymetallic catalyst. The results of the hydrodesulfidation in a flow-through laboratory installation in the temperature range 320–380°C at a hydrogen delivery rate of 6 L h^–1 are shown. The experiment was performed during 1 h with preliminary activation in a flow of hydrogen for 2 h and raw material delivery rate of 4–16 mL h^–1 on a polymetallic Al–Ni–V–Mo catalyst supported by γ-Al₂O₃. It was found that the degree of purification grows by 14% as the delivery rate is lowered from 16 to 8 mL h^–1, and by 27% upon its decrease to 4 mL h^–1. With temperature varied at the optimal raw material delivery rate of 4 mL h^–1, the degree of purification also changes: the minimum degree of purification is observed at 320°C. The degree of purification grows by 7% as the process temperature is raised by 20°, and by 28% upon its increase by 40°.     

Characterization of liquid products of automobile tire pyrolysis

The liquid product of automobile tire pyrolysis and its fractions were studied. The amount of the liquid hydrocarbon fraction is 40–45% of the total weight of pyrolysis products. The hydrocarbon fraction is similar in its characteristics to low-sulfur heavy crude oil. Fractionation of the hydrocarbon fuel was performed. The maximal yield of the light distillation fraction is 39% (temperature interval 180–340°C). The extent to which the characteristics of the light fraction obtained meet the regulations was evaluated. The light fraction of hydrocarbon fuel produced by pyrolysis is recommended for use as a component of diesel motor fuel after additional purification.     

Characterization of the different fractions obtained from the pyrolysis of rope industry waste

A study of the possibilities of pyrolysis for recovering wastes of the rope's industry has been carried out. The pyrolysis of this lignocellulosic residue started at 250 °C, with the main region of decomposition occurring at temperatures between 300 and 350 °C. As the reaction temperature increased, the yields of pyrolyzed gas and oil increased, yielding 22 wt.% of a carbonaceous residue, 50 wt.% tars and a gas fraction at 800 °C. The chemical composition and textural characterization of the chars obtained at various temperatures confirmed that even if most decomposition occurs at 400 °C, there are some pyrolytic reactions still going on above 550 °C. The different pyrolysis fractions were analyzed by GC–MS; the produced oil was rich in hydrocarbons and alcohols. On the other hand, the gas fraction is mainly composed of CO₂, CO and CH₄. Finally, the carbonaceous solid residue (char) displayed porous features, with a more developed porous structure as the pyrolysis temperature increased.     

Amin-Borane als Precursoren für Borcarbidnitrid

Amine-Boranes as Precursors for Boron Carbonitride Amine-Boranes have been investigated with respect to their thermal decomposition in the temperature range from rom temperature to 1050°C. The phase transformation of the pyrolytic residue derived from BH₃ · C₅H₅N subsequently heat-treated at temperatures up to 2200°C was studied. The progress of the pyrolysis has been detected by thermal analysis (TGA) and mass spectroscopy. Chemical analysis and ESCA measurements show that the pyrolytic products are single-phase boron carbonitride (B_xC_yN_z) which can be described as a boron and nitrogen containing pyrolytic carbon. This is also supported by means of analytical electron microscopy. Hot pressing of the pyridine-borane-derived B_xC_yN_z at 1800°C and a pressure of 190 MPa yields whiskerlike crystals whose d-values are in accordance with that of BN and/or graphite.     

Thermal and catalytic degradation of pyrolytic oil from pyrolysis of municipal plastic wastes

Thermal and catalytic degradation of pyrolytic oil obtained from the commercial rotary kiln pyrolysis plant for municipal plastic waste was studied by using fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst in a bench scale reactor. The characteristics of raw pyrolytic oil and also thermal and catalytic degradation of pyrolytic oil using FCC catalyst (fresh and spent FCC catalyst) under rising temperature programming was examined. The experiments were conducted by temperature programming with 10 °C/min of heating rate up to 420 °C and then holding time of 5 h. During this programming, the sampling of product oil was conducted at a different degradation temperature and also different holding time. The raw pyrolytic oil showed a wide retention time distribution in GC analysis, from 5 of carbon number to about 25, and also different product characteristics with a comparison of those of commercial oils (gasoline, kerosene and diesel). In thermal degradation, the characteristics of product oils obtained were influenced by reaction temperature under temperature programming and holding time in the reactor at 420 °C. The addition of FCC catalyst in degradation process showed the improvement of liquid and gas yield, and also high fraction of heavy hydrocarbons in oil product due to more cracking of residue. Moreover, the characteristic of oil product in catalytic degradation using both spent and fresh FCC catalysts were similar, but a relatively good effect of spent FCC catalyst was observed.     

Pyrolysis of Eucalyptus wood in a fluidized-bed reactor

Eucalyptus wood can be utilized as a biomass feedstock for conversion to bio-oil using a pyrolysis process. Eucalyptus wood samples were initially pyrolyzed on a laboratory-scale pyrolysis system at different values in the ranges of 300–800 °C and 0.050–0.300 L min^?1 to determine the effects of operation temperature and N₂ flow rate, respectively, on the yields of products. Then, the bio-oil in the highest yield (wB = 44.37 %), which was obtained at pyrolysis final temperature (450 °C), heating rate (35 °C min^?1), particle size (850 μm), and sweeping flow rate (0.200 L min^?1), was characterized by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and column chromatography. Subsequently, it was shown that the operating temperature and N₂ gas flow rate parameters affected the product yields. Also, some important physico-chemical properties of the pyrolytic oil obtained in high yield were determined as a calorific value of 37.85 MJ kg^?1, an empirical formula of CH_1.651O_0.105N_0.042S_0.001, a rich chemical content containing many different chemical groups, a density of 981.48 kg m^?3, and a viscosity of 61.24 mm² s^?1. Based on the determined properties of the pyrolytic oil, it was concluded that the use of pyrolytic oil derived from Eucalyptus wood may be useful for the production of alternative liquid fuels and fine chemicals after the necessary improvements.     

Gas Evolution from the Pyrolysis of Jordan Oil Shale in A Fixed-bed Reactor

Jordan oil shale from El-Lajjun deposit was pyrolysed in a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor and the influence of the pyrolysis temperature between 400 to 620°C and the influence of the pyrolysis atmosphere using nitrogen and nitrogen/steam on the product yield and gas composition were investigated. The gases analysed were H₂, CO, CO₂ and hydrocarbons from C₁ to C₄. The results showed for both nitrogen and nitrogen/steam that increase the pyrolysis bed temperature from 400 to 520°C resulted in a significant increase in the oil yield, after which temperature the oil yield decreased. The alkene/alkane ratio including ethene/ethane, propene/propane, and butene/butane ratios, can be used as an indication of pyrolysis temperature and the magnitude of cracking reactions. Increasing alkene/alkane ratio occurring with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The alkene/alkane ratio for nitrogen/steam pyrolysis atmosphere was lower than the one found under nitrogen atmosphere. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sulphur distribution in the products of waste tire pyrolysis

The aim of the presented work was to investigate the distribution of sulphur in tire pyrolysis products as well as the influence of process parameters (temperature and residence time) on sulphur distribution due to environmental concerns. Among modern methods used for waste tire recycling, pyrolysis is one of the most reasonable alternatives meeting current environmental standards. However, waste tire sulphur content can be a potential drawback for pyrolysis products utilisation as fuels. Sulphur is present in tires in different concentrations, depending on the type and age of the tires. Typical sulphur content in tires is about 1.6 mass %. In this paper, the distribution of sulphur in tire pyrolysis products was investigated. Tire pyrolysis yields three different products: liquid, gaseous, and solid residue composed mostly of carbon black (chars). Temperature and residence time are the two most important parameters affecting the yield and composition of the volatile fraction and they are therefore expected to affect the sulphur content in residues. Pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a laboratory pyrolysis reaction unit in the temperature range of 650°C to 750°C at different residence times: 88.6 s, 80.2 s, and 73.9 s. Liquid and solid products were analysed by elemental analysis and the distribution of total sulphur in tire pyrolysis products was calculated.     

废轮胎热解石脑油馏分的组成分析

研究了废轮胎在回转窑中试反应器中进行中温段(450 ℃～650 ℃)热解所得产物油中石脑油馏分(i.b.p.～200 ℃)的品质。对原始热解油进行实沸点蒸馏,石脑油馏分的收率随热解温度的升高而明显增加,在600 ℃取得最大值40.48%,之后又有所下降。采用GC和GC-MS对石脑油馏分的组成进行了分析。结果表明,热解石脑油具有很强的芳香性,而且芳烃含量随热解温度的升高而持续增加,热解温度在550 ℃以上的石脑油中的芳香烃含量超过80%。轻质单环芳烃苯、甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯等为其中的主要芳烃。热解石脑油中的脂肪烃多为不饱和烃。     

Electron beam-assisted cracking of synthetic paraffins

The electron beam-initiated cracking of a mixture of C₁₇–C₁₂₀ paraffins at 350–370°C has been studied. The cracking regime implied simultaneous feedstock irradiation and rapid distillation of fragmentation products from the irradiation zone. The distillate was a mixture of 61.5 wt % alkanes and 38.5 wt % alkenes. The product molecule contained on average 13 carbon atoms. The gasoline fraction in the condensate was 32.3 wt %. It was demonstrated that the product composition can be changed depending on the geometric parameters of reaction equipment and temperature distribution at the reactor outlet.     

Pyrolysis of waste tire on ZSM-5 zeolite with enhanced catalytic activities

Catalytic copyrolysis of waste tires over ZSM-5 zeolite with lubricant base oil (LBO) was undertaken at 430 °C under nitrogen atmosphere in a batch mode, and the pyrolysis oils were characterized using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). By combining with LBO, the ZSM-5 catalyzed pyrolysis system of tires has a sharply enhanced degradation rate. Compared to the pyrolysis without LBO, the liquid yield is increased from 33.6% to 48.0%, while the gas and the residue yields are decreased. In the pyrolysis oils, the content of heavy components is decreased and the content of light oils (n-C ≤ 12) is increased from 77.8%(without LBO) to 83.1%(with LBO); especially, the content of C₁₀ components has a sharp increase. Moreover, the liquid compositions are changed. Particularly, the percentage of limonene increased dramatically from 7.54% for thermal degradation to 13.58%. These results suggest that the enhanced catalytic effects on pyrolysis of tires in the catalytic systems are due to the improved interactions between tires and catalysts with the help of LBO. Therefore, it is possible to improve the process economics of scrap tires by catalytic copyrolysis with LBO, which can not only increase the pyrolysis rate remarkably but also produce high-value oil products.     

Fullerenes from kerogen by laser ablation fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Raw oil shale, kerogen (demineralized shale) and carbonaceous residues from kerogen pyrolysis in the range 350–700°C (at 50°C intervals) were studied by laser ablation Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry using the fundamental frequency of Nd: YAG laser (1064 nm). Normally, pyrolysis of the raw materials produces oil and the resulting residues have decreased hydrogen to carbon ratios and exhibit relative increases in aromatic carbons. Raw shale and kerogen give positive-ion spectra with mainly protonated species of m/z 100–400. Laser ablation positive-ion mass spectra of the pyrolysis products of the kerogen show the presence of C₆₀, C₇₀ and other fullerene ions with a distribution of higher mass fullerene ions up to m/z 4000. Using high laser powers (100–3000 MW cm^?2), the residue from pyrolysis at 350°C initially did not produce any fullerene ions (apart from traces of C₆₀ and C₇₀), but after continued ablation a cavity was formed in the target and a wide distribution of fullerene ions was obtained with subsequent laser pulses. Residues obtained from the pyrolysis of kerogen at 400–500°C produced fullerene ions at both low (4–200 kW cm^?2) and high laser powers. The 550°C pyrolysis residue gave only small amounts of C₆₀ and C₇₀ positive ions at low laser power whereas residues from the pyrolysis of kerogen above 550°C did not give fullerene ions over a wide range of laser powers. It is proposed from the above results that the changes in the aromatic nature of the kerogen residues with increasing pyrolysis temperature are directly related to the ease of fullerene formation. This is possibly due to the formation of large polycyclic aromatic systems at pyrolysis temperatures above 400°C, formed in the residues. It should be noted that the shale samples (raw or pyrolysed) did not generate fullerene ions under any of the conditions employed in these experiments.     

催化热解废轮胎制衍生油

催化热解废轮胎对于资源利用及环境保护具有重要意义,近年来引起人们关注.在废轮胎胶粉热解反应中加入催化剂,不仅会加速胶粉裂解速率,缩短反应时间,而且可以通过催化剂择形催化改变产物分布,从而提高目的产物衍生油的收率和性能.国内外对废轮胎催化热解已做了大量研究,以期提高衍生油中高附加值单环芳烃的含量,同时降低S, N和Cl含量,虽然已取得较大进展,但衍生油收率较低,大大降低了该技术的可行性.
　　本文采用带搅拌器的1000 mL不锈钢反应器,在常压条件下研究了反应温度和催化剂类型对废轮胎胶粉热解反应及产物衍生油性能的影响,通过元素分析、馏程模拟和色谱-质谱等表征手段检测了衍生油的理化性能.结果表明,在废轮胎胶粉热解反应过程中,随反应温度上升,出油速率先增加后降低.至500 oC时,热解衍生油收率最高达55.65 wt%,所得衍生油呈黑棕色,具有轻质油含量低、S和N含量高、粘度低和流动性好的特点,其轻质芳烃含量低,却含有大量可以转变为芳烃的脂肪烃类.因此,为了提高衍生油中轻质油和轻质芳烃收率,降低S和N含量,尽量维持较高的衍生油收率,在热解反应过程中引入少量ZSM-5, USY,β, SAPO-11和ZSM-22等常见催化剂,利用催化剂独特的孔道结构和酸分布,达到定向催化和转化的目的,提高轻质芳烃含量.同时,为了克服催化剂与胶粉难以接触进行反应的问题,在反应温度升至200 oC时,维持一定时间保证胶粉发生溶胀和液化反应形成液体烃类,使得催化剂不仅能够均匀分散于液体烃中与其接触进行反应,而且有效提高了反应物料与催化剂之间传质传热效率,使得裂解反应在均相中进行,降低因传热不均匀而造成的结焦和过度裂化反应.在催化热解过程中,1.0 wt%催化剂的加入可明显缩短反应时间,在保证衍生油收率基本不变的情况下,获得的衍生油呈黄棕色,轻质油收率较高为70–75 wt%, S和N含量分别降至0.3–0.58wt%和0.78–1.0 wt%.以具有较高酸性和孔径分布的ZSM-5, USY,β和SAPO-11为催化剂时,衍生油中总芳烃含量可达到50 wt%,其中单环芳烃含量高达45 wt%.     

Thermotropic liquid–crystalline properties of 4,4′-dialkoxy-3,3′-diaminobiphenyl compounds and their precursors

A series of 4,4?-dialkoxy-3,3?-diaminobiphenyl compounds were synthesised by three-step procedure that involves alkylation, nitration and reduction reactions. Their chemical structures were characterised by FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Their thermotropic liquid–crystalline (LC) properties were examined by a number of experimental techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), polarising optical microscopy (POM) and variable temperature X-ray diffraction (VT-XRD). The 4,4?-dialkoxy-3,3?-dinitrobipheyl compounds, precursors to the diamine compounds, were also examined for their thermotropic LC properties. POM studies of focal conic textures and VT-XRD of the 3,3?-diaminobiphenyl derivatives having flexible alkyl chains (C₆–C₁₂) exhibited the smectic A (SmA) phase independent of the length of alkyl chains. Similarly, the 3,3?-dinitrobiphenyl derivatives containing alkyl chains C₇, and C₉–C₁₁ exhibit the SmA phase, those containing C₈ formed the smectic C (SmC) phase and C₁₂ formed both the SmA and smectic B (SmB) phases, respectively. The 3,3?-diaminobiphenyl derivatives had excellent thermal stability in the temperature range of 237–329°C, while those of 3,3?-dinitrobiphenyl derivatives were in the temperature range of 270–321°C. The 3,3?-diaminobiphenyl derivatives emitted UV light both in chloroform and acetonitrile.     

TG–DSC analysis of pyrolysis process of two Chinese oil shales

According to the recommendations developed by the Kinetics Committee of the International Confederation for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (ICTAC), non-isothermal pyrolysis experiments were carried out to analyze and compare two types of oil shale from the northeast of China using simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis at temperatures ranging from 40 to 850 °C. The pyrolysis process of oil shale begins with the evaporation of small molecular substances, then continues by the pyrolysis of kerogen, and finally ends mainly with the complete decomposition of carbonates. In this whole process, almost 36 % of overall pyrolytic heat was used for the pyrolysis of kerogen. When retorting air-dried basis oil shale below 520 °C, a considerable proportion of the heat required will have to be used mainly for the evaporation of small molecular substances below 185 °C. Specific heat capacities of two oil shale semicokes were measured below 500 °C by DSC method, showing that specific heat capacity of semicoke will increase with the increase of the temperature, and carbonization of kerogen can bring about a further positive effect on it. Coats–Redfern method was used to calculate kinetic parameters in three pyrolysis stages.