Investigating the Influence of Biochar Catalyst in the Poplar Wood Pyrolysis Process to Produce Fuel

In this study, poplar wood pyrolysis in the vicinity of biochar catalyst produced from spruce wood gasification process has been investigated. For this purpose, in a laboratory-sized reactor, 30 g of the sample was loaded and the pyrolysis of the samples was performed at 500  and at atmospheric pressure. The results showed that the biochar catalyst did not have a significant effect on the bioavailability of pyrolysis, while the amount of gas product decreased (5.78 wt% decline) and the biochar increased (5.19 wt% increase); it also changed the specifications of the products. In the case of gas products, the summation of CO and CO2 levels increased in total (8.68 wt% increase), while the hydrocarbon gases with more than two carbon declined (16.10 wt% decline), but did not have a significant effect on CH4 levels. Biochar catalysts have increased the amount of aromatics and reduced linear compounds in bioavailability, indicating the tendency of Biochar catalysts to process the conversion of linear compounds to aromatics such as carboxylic acids. Biochar also had a strong tendency to de-oxygenate bioavailability, which led to improved bioavailability. The production quartet had less aromatics. DTG analysis showed that the solution from the catalytic pyrolysis process had a lighter and more regular molecular network. Catalyst XRD analysis also showed that a layer of carbon (coke) material from the polymerization process of the aromatic compounds in the vapors produced in the pyrolysis process was sitting on the catalyst. Considering all, the presence of biochar catalyst did not change the yield of bio-oil, while its quality such the aromatic content enhanced.