Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Forestry Wood Waste for Bio-Energy Recovery Using Nano-Catalysts

Abstract

Fast pyrolysis is envisioned as a promising technology for the utilization of forestry wood waste (e.g., widely available from tree logging) as resources. In this study, the potential of an innovative approach was explored to convert forestry wood waste of Vernicia fordii (VF) into energy products based on fast pyrolysis combined with nano-catalysts. The results from fast pyrolysis using three types of nano-catalysts showed that the distribution and composition of the pyrolytic product were affected greatly by the type of nano-catalyst employed. The use of nano-Fe2O3 and nano-NiO resulted in yields of light hydrocarbons (alkanes and olefins) as 38.7% and 33.2%, respectively. Compared to the VF sample, the use of VF-NiO and VF-Fe2O3 led to significant increases in the formation of alkanes (e.g., from 14% to 26% and 31%, respectively). In addition, the use of nano-NiO and nano-Fe2O3 catalysts was found to promote the formation of acid, aromatics, and phenols that can be used as chemical feedstocks. The NiO catalyst affected the bio-oil composition by promoting lignin decomposition for the formation of aromatics and phenolics, which were increased from 9.52% to 14.40% and from 1.65% to 4.02%, respectively. Accordingly, the combined use of nano-catalysts and fast pyrolysis can be a promising technique for bio-energy applications to allow efficient recovery of fuel products from forestry wood waste.

The Potential of Platanus orientalis L. Bark for High-Grade Resource Utilization

“…Extraction: 40 g POL bark was crushed into 100 mesh, filled into a cotton bag, and signed. The extracts from POL bark were obtained using the Soxhlet extraction method [40,41]. The conditions were as follows: 300 mL methanol, methanol/ethanol, and ethanol/benzene (1:1) as solvents, respectively [42]; the extraction time was 6 h; the temperature was 60 • C [43].…”

ZnO Nano-Particles Production Intensification by Means of a Spinning Disk Reactor

“…Nowadays, nanoparticle production has increased in a notable way due to its widespread number of applications in different sectors—such as electronic and energy storage [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ], industrial catalysis [ 5 , 6 ], pharmaceutical and biomedical [ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], food [ 10 , 11 , 12 ], civil and waste re-use [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], and the environment [ 13 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. The production of nanoparticles requires particular operating conditions and equipment, in particular the achievement of micro-mixing conditions [ 24 , 25 ] to avoid rapid aggregation phenomena [ 26 , 27 ], or the use of complexing agents to reduce surface electrostatic attraction among nanoparticles, such as carboxy-methyl-cellulose, alginate, xanthan and other organic compounds [ 28 , 29 ].…”