(97c) Fast Pyrolysis of Poplar Wood and Poultry Litter

Rising global economic, strategic and environmental concerns putting pressure on the use of more renewable energy options. Among the few renewable energy sources biomass is the only renewable carbon source that has potential applications as fuels and chemicals.

Majority of the biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel compete with food for raw material. This situation will create major supply and cost concerns in the future. On the other hand, biomass may become better feedstock alternatives for the production of biofuels and chemicals with potential advantages in ready availability. Pyrolysis technology is one of the thermochemical conversion method for producing solid, liquid and gas products in the utilization of biomass. Fast pyrolysis is particularly important for bio-oil production that can be further processed into fuels and chemicals.

In this research poplar wood chips and broiler litter were converted into biooil, biochar and producer gas using a bench-scale bubbling fluidized bed pyrolysis unit. The average liquid yield for the poplar was 60±0.2% and that for the broiler litter was 40±1.1% on as received biomass basis. The char and gas yields for the poplar were 12±2.1 % and 28±2.3% and that for the broiler litter 35±2.7% and 25±2.9% respectively.The pH, viscosity and high heating value for poplar biooil and broiler biooil was 3.0 and 6.5; 320cP (45°C) and 423cP (60°C); 22.48 and 27.98 MJ/kg respectively. The poplar biooil and broiler biooil contained 57.80% and 62.84% carbon, 6.80% and 8.31% hydrogen, <0.5% and 7.23% nitrogen, <0.05% and <0.9% sulfur respectively.Molecular weight distribution and functional groups were determined by GPC, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. The gas product composition was determined by an online GC.