Flash co-pyrolysis of biomass with polylactic acid. Part 1: Influence on bio-oil yield and heating value

High amounts of water present in bio-oil are one of the major drawbacks for its utilisation as a fuel. One technology that shows the potential to satisfy the demand for bio-oil with a reduced water content is the flash co-pyrolysis of biomass with polylactic acid, PLA. The influence of PLA on the py...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fuel (Guildford) 2008-06, Vol.87 (7), p.1031-1041
Main Authors: Cornelissen, T., Yperman, J., Reggers, G., Schreurs, S., Carleer, R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Bio-oil
Biomass
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Flash co-pyrolysis
Fuel processing. Carbochemistry and petrochemistry
Fuels
Natural energy
Polylactic acid
Pyrolytic water
Solid fuel processing (coal, coke, brown coal, peat, wood, etc.)
Willow
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Summary:High amounts of water present in bio-oil are one of the major drawbacks for its utilisation as a fuel. One technology that shows the potential to satisfy the demand for bio-oil with a reduced water content is the flash co-pyrolysis of biomass with polylactic acid, PLA. The influence of PLA on the pyrolysis of willow is investigated with a semi-continuous home-built pyrolysis reactor. Flash co-pyrolysis of willow/PLA blends (10:1, 3:1, 1:1 and 1:2) show synergetic interaction. A higher bio-oil yield and a lower water content as a function of the willow/PLA ratios are obtained. Among the tested blends, the 1:2 willow/PLA blend shows the most pronounced synergy: a reduction in the production of pyrolytic water of almost 28%, accompanied by an increase of more than 37% in the production of water-free bio-oil. Additionally, PLA shows to have a positive influence on the energetic value of the bio-oil produced and on the resulting energy recuperation.
ISSN:0016-2361
1873-7153
DOI:10.1016/j.fuel.2007.07.019