Production of High-Value Green Chemicals via Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Eucalyptus urograndis Forest Residues

Abstract

Lately, pyrolysis has attracted significant attention due to its substantial potential for bio-oil production, with the ability to serve as a renewable energy source and/or facilitate the production of valuable chemical compounds. The chemical compounds generated and their amounts are completely influenced by the traits and chemical makeup of the initial biomass. In this work, the catalytic fast pyrolysis of Eucalyptus urograndis canopy was carried out using a pyrolyzer coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) at different temperatures and in the presence and absence of catalysts. Elemental composition analysis was employed to characterize the chemical composition of the biomass. The results showed a biomass with a carbon percentage of 50.20%, oxygen of 43.21%, and hydrogen of 6.34%, as well as a lower calorific power of 17.51 MJ/kg. The Py-GC/MS analyses revealed the presence of several noteworthy compounds, including acetic acid (C2H4O2) and, in smaller quantities, hydrogen (H2), furfural (C5H4O2), and levoglucosan (C6H10O5). The technical-economic evaluation revealed that the production of acetic acid, furfural, hydrogen, and levoglucosan commands a high market price. Additionally, a single production cycle is anticipated to yield a favorable technical-economic balance, generating approximately USD 466.10 /ton of processed biomass. This outcome is achieved through the process of catalytic fast pyrolysis, where CuO has been identified as the most suitable catalyst.