Selective fast pyrolysis of biomass impregnated with ZnCl2 to produce furfural: Analytical Py-GC/MS study

✍ Scribed by Qiang Lu; Chang-qing Dong; Xu-ming Zhang; Hui-yun Tian; Yong-ping Yang; Xi-feng Zhu

• Book ID: 104019734
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 526 KB
• Volume: 90
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0165-2370
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2010.12.007

✦ Synopsis

A new technique was proposed to produce furfural (FF) through low-temperature fast pyrolysis of biomass impregnated with ZnCl 2 . Analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) experiments were performed in this study to reveal the ZnCl 2 -catalyzed biomass pyrolysis and FF formation characteristics. The results revealed that the presence of ZnCl 2 decreased the temperature for the complete decomposition of biomass, inhibited the devolatilization of lignin and pyrolytic ring scission of holocellulose. Meanwhile, it promoted the depolymerization and dehydration of holocellulose to form the FF and three anhydrosugars (levoglucosenone (LGO), 1-hydroxy-3,6-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-2-one (LAC) and 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-␣-d-glucopyranose (DGP)) as the major primary pyrolytic products. With the increase of the ZnCl 2 content, the three anhydrosugars were firstly increased and then decreased, while the FF was increased steadily. Moreover, these anhydrosugars could be converted to FF through the secondary catalysis by ZnCl 2 , leaving the FF as the predominant product. In addition, the acetic acid (AA), which was not inhibited by the ZnCl 2 , was formed as the only important liquid by-product.