The researchers are focusing on the growing potential of biomass as a source of sustainable, renewable and clean energy.
Pyrolysis reactor in the tube furnace Image source: Aihui Chen, Xifeng Liu, Haibin Zhang, Hao Wu, Dong Xu, Bo Li and Chenxi Zhao.
There is the possibility of converting biomass into bio-oil through thermochemical processes such as liquefaction, gasification and pyrolysis, which can then be used to produce chemicals, fuels and biomaterials.
Scientists from the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery Sciences in China report on their research on the physico-chemical properties and the antioxidant activity of wood vinegar and tar fraction in bio-oil, which is produced from the pyrolysis of hazelnut shells at 400 ° C to 1,000 ° C. The process was reported in the Journal for Renewable and Sustainable Energy,
Wood vinegar is widely used in agriculture as a fertilizer, insect repellent, and plant growth promoter or inhibitor. It can also be used as a wood preservative, odor removal, and animal feed additive.
According to these results, wood vinegar and tar, obtained from leftover hazelnut shells, could be viewed as a potential renewable energy source depending on their own properties.
Liu Xifeng, study author, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery Sciences, Harbin University of Science and Technology
The researchers found that wood vinegar and tar residues contained the most phenolic substances after burning mussels. This formed the basis for further research on antioxidant properties.
The experiments were carried out in a tube furnace pyrolysis reactor. The 20 g hazelnut shell samples were placed in the waiting area of the quartz tube beforehand. After the target temperature was reached and stabilized, the raw materials were pushed into the reaction area and heated for 20 minutes.
The biochar was quantified as the proportion of pyrolysis coal in the biomass weight, while the bio-oil yield was measured by the increase in weight of the condenser.
The liquid product was centrifuged at 3200 rpm for 8 minutes to sufficiently isolate two fractions of the bio-oil. The aqueous fraction was referred to here as wood vinegar. The isolated tar fraction tends to remain stationary for a day with no evidence of the aqueous phase.
Wood vinegar and tar were stored in a sealed tube and cooled at a temperature of 4 ° C for further test purposes. The gas yield was measured taking their combined volume into account.
The researchers observed that the pyrolysis temperature had a remarkable impact on the yield and properties of wood vinegar and tar fraction in bio-oil derived from hazelnut shells. Wood vinegar formed the predominant liquid fraction with the highest yield of 31.23 percent by weight processed at 700 ° C. This is due to the high water concentration.
The study forms the basis for further applications of bio-oil, which is obtained from the pyrolysis of hazelnut shell waste. This also enhanced its use in antioxidant activity.
Journal reference:
Chen, A., et al. (2021) Influence of the pyrolysis temperature on bio-oil made from hazelnut shells: physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity of wood vinegar and tar fraction. Magazine for renewable and sustainable energy. doi.org/10.1063/5.0051944.
Source: https://publishing.aip.org/
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