Catalytic effects of copper(II) chloride and aluminum chloride on the pyrolytic behavior of cellulose

The cellulose without and with catalyst (CuCl₂, AlCl₃) was subjected to pyrolysis at temperatures from 350 to 500 °C with different heating rate (10 °C/min, 100 °C/s) to produce bio-oil and selected chemicals with high yield. The pyrolytic oil yield was in the range of 37–84 wt% depending on the temperature, the heating rate and the amount of metal chloride. The non-catalytic fast pyrolysis at 500 °C gives the highest yield of bio-oil. The mixing cellulose with both metal chlorides results with a significant decrease of the liquid product. The non-catalytic pyrolysis of cellulose gives the highest mass yield of levoglucosan (up to 11.69 wt%). The great influence of metal chloride amount on the distribution of bio-oil components was observed. The copper(II) chloride and aluminum chloride addition to cellulose clearly promotes the formation of levoglucosenone (up to 3.61 wt%), 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-α-d-glucopyranose (up to 3.37 wt%) and unidentified dianhydrosugar (MW = 144; up to 1.64 wt%). Additionally, several other compounds have been identified but in minor quantities. Based on the results of the GC–MS, the effect of pyrolysis process conditions on the productivity of selected chemicals was discussed. These results allowed to create a general model of reactions during the catalytic pyrolysis of cellulose in the presence of copper(II) chloride and aluminum chloride.     

Biomass valorisation by staged degasification: A new pyrolysis-based thermochemical conversion option to produce value-added chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass

Pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass leads to an array of useful solid, liquid and gaseous products. Staged degasification is a pyrolysis-based conversion route to generate value-added chemicals from biomass. Because of different thermal stabilities of the main biomass constituents hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, different temperatures may be applied for a step-wise degradation into valuable chemicals. Staged degasification experiments were conducted with deciduous (beech, poplar), coniferous (spruce) and herbaceous (straw) biomass. Thermogravimetry was used to estimate appropriate temperatures for a two-stage degradation process that was subsequently evaluated on bench-scale by moving bed and bubbling fluidised bed pyrolysis experiments. Degasification in two consecutive stages at 250–300 °C and 350–400 °C leads to mixtures of degradation products that originate from the whole biomass. The mixtures that were generated at 250–300 °C, predominantly contain hemicellulose degradation products, while the composition of the mixtures that were obtained at 350–400 °C, is more representative for cellulose. Lignin-derived fragments are found in both mixtures. Yields up to 5 wt% of the dry feedstock are obtained for chemicals like acetic acid, furfural, acetol and levoglucosan. Certain groups of thermal degradation products like C₂–C₄ oxygenates and phenols are formed in yields up to 3 wt%. Highest yields have been obtained for beech wood. Staged degasification is a promising pyrolysis-based route to valorise lignocellulosic biomass. Clear opportunities exist to increase product yields and selectivities by optimisation of reactor conditions, application of catalysts and specific biomass pretreatments like demineralisation and pre-hydrolysis.     

Product distribution for flash pyrolysis of cellulose in a coil pyrolyzer

Objectives of this study were to (1) examine the performance of a commercial coil pyrolyzer as a flash pyrolysis instrument, (2) determine product distribution from cellulose under flash pyrolysis conditions, and (3) investigate the effect of cellulose type, particle size, heating rate, heating time, and final or soaking temperature on the distribution.It was found that the pyrolysis behavior of the products could be classified into two groups according to their similarity with the production of CO or CO₂. In the former, yield was an exponential function of weight loss, whereas in the latter, yield was an arithmetic function of weight loss. In the range studied, particle size and heating rate did not influence yield or its weight loss behavior. The type of cellulose, mainly degree of polymerization, influenced yield but not behavior.     

Heterogeneity in cellulose pyrolysis indicated from the pyrolysis in sulfolane

In sulfolane (tetramethylene sulfone), which is a good solvent for the primary product, levoglucosan, cellulose is pyrolyzed completely into soluble products without forming any char. Residues during pyrolysis in sulfolane at 200, 240 and 330 °C were obtained always as colorless non-carbonized substances. From the change in the crystallinity and crystallite size as compared with the ordinary pyrolysis, a heterogeneous mechanism is indicated for cellulose pyrolysis, starting from a molecule which is less stabilized due to lack of some intermolecular interactions.     

Effects of pretreatment temperature on the analysis of size-fractionated aerosol particles using ToF-SIMS

Size-fractionated aerosol particles were collected with a MOUDI 10-stage cascade impactor from an urban roadside place in a downtown area of Hong Kong. Fine aerosol particulate samples from stage 6 (aerodynamic particle diameter between 0.56 and 1 μm) and stage 9 (aerodynamic particle diameter between 0.10 and 0.18 μm) were pretreated at a chosen temperature, including −100°C, −50°C, 25°C, and 60°C, in a load lock chamber and then analyzed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) at the same temperature (−100°C). Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to further analyze ToF-SIMS spectra of aerosol particles with different pretreatment temperatures from two selected stages. ToF-SIMS results showed that the intensities of aliphatic hydrocarbon ions such as C₄H₇⁺ and C₄H₉⁺ and amine ions such as C₂H₈N⁺ and C₄H₁₂N⁺ decreased with an increase of the pretreatment temperature under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. We have shown that analyses of this type of aerosol particles using ToF-SIMS should not be conducted at ambient temperature but at low temperature (eg, −50°C). In addition, we also developed a procedure that can be used to analyze aerosol particle samples under ultrahigh vacuum environment.     

Study of cellulose pyrolysis using an in situ visualization technique and thermogravimetric analyzer

A technique has been developed to study cellulose pyrolysis by in situ visualization of cellulose transformation in a quartz capillary under a microscope using a CCD camera monitoring system and Raman spectroscopy. The processes and temperature of cellulose transformation during pyrolysis reaction can be observed directly. In situ visualization of reaction revealed that how oil is generated and expulsed concurrently from cellulose during pyrolysis. The in situ visualization result is the first direct evidence to show cellulose pyrolysis transformation. Pyrolysis characteristics were investigated under a highly purified N₂ atmosphere using a thermogravimetric analyzer from room temperature to 500 °C at the heating rate of 5 °C/min. The results showed that three stages appeared in this thermal degradation process. Kinetic parameters in terms of apparent activation energy and pre-exponential factor were determined.     

The influence of fine structure on the pyrolysis of cellulose. II. Pyrolysis in air

The pyrolysis of purified celluloses in air at 251°C was studied. The pyrolysis was found to obey first-order kinetics, and the rate constants correlated with the crystallinities, orientations and accessibilities of the samples. The results are interpreted in terms of an oxygen-catalyzed decomposition, with the accessibility of oxygen to the cellulose determining the rate of pyrolysis. The production of levoglucosan under conditions approaching combustion was shown to be a function of the crystallinity and orientation of cellulose. Some levoglucosan appears to be produced from the less ordered regions.     

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.     

Thermal degradation and evolved gas analysis of N,N′-bis(2 hydroxyethyl) linseed amide (BHLA) during pyrolysis and combustion

The thermal degradation of N,N′-bis(2 hydroxyethyl) linseed amide (BHLA) was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy (TG–FTIR–MS). Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal degradation process can be subdivided into three stages: sample drying (<200 °C), main decomposition (200–500 °C), and further cracking (>500 °C) of the polymer. The compound reached almost 800 °C during pyrolysis and combustion. The activation energy at the second step during combustion was slightly higher than that of pyrolysis emissions of carbon dioxide, aliphatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, and other gases during combustion and pyrolysis were detected by FTIR and MS spectra. It was observed that the intensities of CO₂, CO, HCN, and H₂O were very high when compared with their intensities during pyrolysis, and this was attributed to the oxidation of the decomposition product.     

Exploratory flash vacuum pyrolysis of some cyclopentadienyliron complexes

At 500°C, flash vacuum pyrolysis of (η⁵-C₅H₅)₂Fe₂(CO)₄ provides a rapid, practical synthesis of the tetranuclear complex (η⁵-C₅H₅)₄Fe₄(μ₃-CO)₄: at higher temperatures, ferrocene is formed. Ferrocene itself undergoes little change under flash vacuum pyrolysis conditions, even at 725°C. Pivaloylferrocene is unchanged at 650°C but cracks to yield isobutene between 675 and 700°C; this reaction does not proceed by simple elimination since formylferrocene can be recovered unchanged under flash vacuum pyrolysis conditions which give substantial quantities of isobutene from pivaloylferrocene.     

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.     

Gas‐Phase Generation and Decomposition of a Sulfinylnitrene into the Iminyl Radical OSN

The dipolar oxathiazyne‐like sulfinylnitrene RS(O)N, a highly reactive α‐oxo nitrene, has been rarely investigated. Upon flash vacuum pyrolysis of sulfinyl azide CF₃S(O)N₃ at 350 °C, an elusive sulfinylnitrene CF₃S(O)N was generated in the gas phase in its singlet ground state and was characterized by matrix‐isolation IR spectroscopy. Further fragmentation of CF₃S(O)N at 600 °C produced CF₃ and a novel iminyl radical OSN, an SO₂ analogue, which were unambiguously identified by IR spectroscopy. Consistent with the experimental observations, DFT calculations clearly support a stepwise decomposition mechanism of CF₃S(O)N₃.     

Thermochemical conversion of cellulose in polar solvent (sulfolane) into levoglucosan and other low molecular-weight substances

Pyrolysis of cellulose in sulfolane, an aprotic polar solvent, was conducted at the temperature between 200 and 330 °C. Sulfolane was used as a good solvent for levoglucosan, the major anhydromonosaccharide formed from cellulose pyrolysis, for prevention of the polymerization reaction. Cellulose was observed completely decomposed into soluble products in sulfolane within 3, 10, 60 and 480 min at 330, 280, 240 and 200 °C, respectively. The soluble products had molecular weights less than 500 after acetylation (GPC analysis) and similar product composition to that from cellulose pyrolysis under nitrogen (levoglucosan, levoglucosenone, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural by HPLC analysis). Pyrolysis of cellulose in polar solvent, which can solubilize anhydromonosaccharides, is proposed as a method for selective formation of levoglucosan and other low molecular-weight (MW) substances. As well, the cellulose pyrolysis in sulfolane did not suffer from carbonization reactions (microscopic and IR spectroscopic analysis) as did cellulose pyrolysis under nitrogen or in dioctyl phthalate (a poor solvent for levoglucosan) which gave brown/black solids. The residues obtained from the pyrolysis in sulfolane were colorless and gave similar IR spectra to that of the original cellulose. Based on these results, a ‘surface-peeling mechanism’ is proposed, and the role of the solvent in the mechanism is discussed.     

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.     

Influence of water domain formed in hexadecane core inside cross-linked capsule particle on thermal properties for heat storage application

The influence of a water domain formed in n-hexadecane (HD) core in cross-linked polymer capsule particles on the thermal properties of encapsulated HD was studied from the view point of heat storage application. The capsule particles were prepared by micro-suspension polymerization of divinylbenzene at 70 °C utilizing the Self-assembling of Phase-Separated Polymer (SaPSeP) method that the authors proposed. The water domain was not observed for particles taken just after the polymerization and kept at 70 °C, but it was gradually formed with an increase of the size during cooling process from 70 °C to room temperature. In differential scanning calorimetric thermograms, pure HD had a single peak because of solidification (T _s) at 15 °C, and the encapsulated HD containing the water domain had two peaks of T _s1 and T _s2, at 6 and 1 °C, respectively. That is, the encapsulated HD containing the water domain required longer time and lower temperature to complete the solidification than the pure HD, which is negative for its application. However, the lower temperature-side peak at T _s2 gradually disappeared with an increase of capsule particle diameter, which seems to be based on the decrease of total interfacial area between the water domains and encapsulated HD in the capsule particles.     

Investigation of heterogeneous radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate with polydimethylsiloxane as stabilizing agent in supercritical CO2 by turbidimetry

Experimental results of a turbidimetric in situ investigation of the heterogeneous radical polymerization (dispersion polymerization) of methyl methacrylate and polydimethylsiloxane–monomethacrylate in supercritical carbon dioxide are presented. The experiments were carried out at 60 °C and 330 bar. Turbidity spectra were measured directly in the autoclave to determine the average particle diameter σ_τ and the particle density N_AV/V during the first five minutes of polymerization. The results show that the particle density increased until a maximum was achieved, whereas the particle diameter increased during the first stage. Moreover, a comparison with kinetic data suggests that the particles nucleate through coagulation of polymer that is formed in the homogeneous phase. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elimination of carbon monoxide by electron impact on quinoline N-oxide,carbostyril and 8-hydroxyquinoline

Under electron impact, the molecular ions of quinoline N-oxide, carbostyril and 8-hydroxyquinoline lose carbon monoxide giving a fragment ion C₈H₇N (m/z 117), which was shown by collision-activated dissociation in each case to have the structure of the molecular ion of indole. Its formation from 8-hydroxyquinoline requires an unusual rearrangement. Isoquinoline N-oxide loses HCN rather than CO and gives a fragment which has the structure of the molecular ion of benzofuran. When the first three compounds were subjected to flash vacuum pyrolysis, quinoline N-oxide at 500–700°C gave carbostyril and indole was detected by gas chromatography/mass Spectrometry. At 900°C carbostyril and 8-hydroxyquinoline both gave indole in small amounts, detected by gas chromatography/mass Spectrometry.     

Syngas Production from Lignite Coal Using K2CO3 Catalytic Steam Gasification with Controlled Heating Rate in Pyrolysis Step

Gasification uses steam increases H2 content in the syngas. Kinetics of gasification process can be improved by using K₂CO₃ catalyst. Controlled heating rate in pyrolysis step determines the pore size of charcoal that affects yield gas and H₂ and CO content in the syngas. In previous research, pyrolisis step was performed without considering heating rate in pyrolysis step. This experiment was performed by catalytic steam gasification using lignite char from pyrolysis with controlled heating rate intended to produce maximum yield of syngas with mole ratio of H₂/CO ≈ 2. Slow heating rate (3 °C/min) until 850 °C in the pyrolysis step has resulted in largest surface area of char. This study was performed by feeding Indonesian lignite char particles and K₂CO₃ catalyst into a fixed bed reactor with variation of steam/char mole ratio (2.2; 2.9; 4.0) and gasification temperature (750 °C, 825 °C, and 900 °C). Highest ratio of H₂/CO (1.682) was obtained at 750 °C and steam/char ratio 2.2. Largest gas yield obtained from this study was 0.504 mol/g of char at 900 °C and steam/char ratio 2.9. Optimum condition for syngas production was at 750 °C and steam/char mole ratio 2.2 with gas yield 0.353 mol/g of char and H₂/CO ratio 1.682.     

Pyrolytic behavior of cellulose in presence of montmorillonite K10 as catalyst

Cellulose and cellulose/montmorillonite K10 mixtures of different ratio (9:1, 3:1, 1:1) were subjected to pyrolysis at temperatures from 350 to 500 °C with different heating rate (10 °C/min, 100 °C/s) to produce bio-oil and selected chemicals with high yield. The pyrolytic oil yield was in the range of 46–73.5 wt% depending on the temperature, the heating rate and the amount of catalyst. The non-catalytic fast pyrolysis at 500 °C gives the highest yield of bio-oil (84 wt%). The blending cellulose with increasing amount of montmorillonite K10 results in significant, linear decrease in bio-oil yield. The great influence of montmorillonite K10 amount on the distribution of bio-oil components was observed at 450 °C with a heating rate of 100 °C/s. The addition of catalyst to cellulose promotes the formation of 2-furfural (FF), various furan derivatives, levoglucosenone (LGO) and (1R,5S)-1-hydroxy-3,6-dioxabicyclo-[3.2.1]octan-2-one (LAC). Simultaneously, the share of levoglucosan (LG) in bio-oil decreases from 6.92 wt% and is less than 1 wt% when cellulose:MK10 (1:1, w/w) mixture at 450 °C is rapidly pyrolyzed. Additionally, several other compounds have been identified but in minor quantities. Their contributions in bio-oil also depend on the amount of catalyst.     

Mechanism of Formation and Consequent Evolution of Active Cellulose during Cellulose Pyrolysis

An intermediate product that was yellow, soluble, and solid was obtained in a high-radiation flash pyrolysis reactor. Under two different radiant heat fluxes, the yields tended to both increase initially until achieving a steady state, and then increase again with the progress of reaction. The compositional analysis of the yellow product was performed on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It was indicated that the product mainly consisted of oligosaccharides, glucose, levoglucosan, methylglyoxal and so on. The compounds including oligosaccharides such as cellobiose and cellotriose, and monosaccharides such as glucose were regarded as active cellulose. Under the higher heat flux, the relative yield of the active cellulose increased initially, followed by a decreasing trend, and achieved a maximum mass fraction of 68% (w) in the soluble yellow product. The oligosaccharides with higher degree of polymerization (DP) were the primary components. Under the lower heat flux the yield of active cellulose was relatively lower, achieving a maximum of about 57% (w), and more saccharides with lower DP were contained. It was suggested that active cellulose was quite unstable at high temperature, and easily decomposed into saccharides with lower DP, even char, volatiles, and gaseous products. Finally an improved mechanism was proposed to describe the reaction route of formation and consequent evolution of active cellulose during cellulose pyrolysis.