Biomass-based
pyrolytic polygeneration system can commercialize
all products (liquids, gases, and solids) generated during pyrolysis,
while fast pyrolysis, gasification and carbonization, can only singly
commercialize liquids, gases, and solids, respectively. To determine
the optimum operational parameters for biomass pyrolytic polygeneration
while using bamboo waste as the feedstock, the product characteristics
were investigated over a temperature range of 250 to 950 °C.
Meanwhile, details of the evolution of the char structure were analyzed
to reveal the pyrolysis mechanism. Results showed that to increase
the yield of char, the operational temperature should be at 350 °C;
however, at this temperature, no inner pores were formed and a low
quality char product was produced. Thus, the optimum operating temperature
recommended for biomass pyrolytic polygeneration of bamboo waste was
set to 550 °C. At the optimum temperature, the surface area of
the char was 200 m2/g, the calorific value of gas was 14
MJ/m3, and the concentration of phenols in liquid reached
the maximum level. A pyrolysis mechanism based on the evolution of
the char structure was proposed. First, the ordered organic macrostructure
in raw biomass was converted to a network-like structure consisting
of a “3D network of benzene rings” during the “initial
decomposition stage (<450°C)”, and this was followed
by the “first reconstruction stage (450–550°C)”
whereby the initial 3D network was converted to a “2D structure
of fused rings”. Subsequently, with further increases in temperature,
a “graphite microcrystalline structure” was formed during
the “second condensation stage (>550°C)”. The
results
of this study are expected to be beneficial for the comprehensive
utilization of bamboo waste and provide new insight into the pyrolysis
mechanism.
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