Abstract
The catalytic co-pyrolysis of Douglas fir and low-density polyethylene with commercial activated carbon catalysts was investigated for the first time. Six types of activated carbon catalysts were tested and compared. The obtained liquid product contained physically separated parts being in the oil and water phases, where the percentage of the oil phase ranged from 10.10 to 64.4 wt% depending on various co-pyrolysis conditions. The oil phase of bio-oil was rich in C8-C16 aromatics and aliphatics (up to 98.6 area%) that were compatible with transportation jet fuel. In addition, the main components of the bio-oil in the water phase were phenols and guaiacols, in which high phenol selectivity (up to 92.9 area%) and phenol concentration (up to 26.4 mg mL-1) were achieved. Hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide were the main fractions of gaseous products, where a high concentration of methane (23.6 vol%) and carbon monoxide (39.1 vol%) could be obtained. The process was optimized based on an overall consideration of bio-oil yield, C8-C16 hydrocarbon selectivity, and phenol concentration. Furthermore, a reaction mechanism for the production of phenols and hydrocarbons was proposed. Our findings may provide a novel, green, and cost-effective route to produce phase-divided phenol-enriched chemicals and transportation jet fuels.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3687-3700 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Sustainable Energy and Fuels |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was partially supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture (Award Number: 2016-67021-24533; Award Number: 2018-67009-27904), the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangxi Province, China Scholarship Council (Award Number: 21766019; Award Number: 20171BBF60023; Award Number: 201706820027) and Xcel Energy. We would like to thank Dr Aab Ahamed for the help with GC/MS analysis. And we also appreciate Dr Valerie Lynch-Holm and Dr Dan Mullendore for the SEM/EDS training and analysis carried out at the Franceschi Microscopy & Imaging Center (FMIC) of Washington State University.
Funding Information:
This study was partially supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture (Award Number: 2016-67021-24533; Award Number: 2018-67009-27904), the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangxi Province, China Scholarship Council (Award Number: 21766019; Award Number: 20171BBF60023; Award Number: 201706820027) and Xcel Energy. We would like to thank Dr Aftab Ahamed for the help with GC/MS analysis. And we also appreciate Dr Valerie Lynch-Holm and Dr Dan Mullendore for the SEM/EDS training and analysis carried out at the Franceschi Microscopy & Imaging Center (FMIC) of Washington State University.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Royal Society of Chemistry.
