Catalytic pyrolysis and liquefaction behavior of microalgae for bio-oil production

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2020-03, Vol.300, p.122665-122665, Article 122665
• Main Authors: Xu, Yufu, Hu, Yuanhua, Peng, Yubin, Yao, Lulu, Dong, Yinghui, Yang, Bingxun, Song, Ruhong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bio-oil; Biofuels; Catalysis; Catalytic pyrolysis; Hot Temperature; HZSM-5; Liquefaction; Microalgae; Plant Oils; Polyphenols; Pyrolysis
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122665

•Catalytic pyrolysis and liquefaction behavior of microalgae was investigated.•Rare earth compounds as catalysts can significantly reduce pyrolysis activation energy.•The maximum bio-oil yield amounted to 49.71 wt%.•The combustion performances of Spirulina bio-oil were superior to rice husk bio-oil. Microalgae bio-oil production is related to the sustainable use of world energy in the future. In the present work, catalytic pyrolysis and liquefaction behavior of microalgae for bio-oil production were investigated. The results show that the rare earth compounds as catalysts contributed to significantly accelerating the pyrolysis of microalgae via reducing the activation energy of pyrolysis process. Ce(II)/HZSM-5 presented the optimal catalytic pyrolysis and liquefaction effects by helping cut the microalgae molecule chains. The maximum bio-oil yield amounted to 49.71 wt% at the catalyst concentration of 5 wt%. The chemical components of the Spirulina bio-oil were composed of carboxylic acids, ketones, olefins, amides, ethers, esters, and partially cyclic N-containing compounds. Although the combustion performances of the Spirulina bio-oil are worse than those of the diesel fuel, it is superior to the reported rice husk bio-oil, suggesting a promising potential application prospect.