Upgrading of Bio-oil from Energy Crops via Fast Pyrolysis using Nanocatalyst in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor

The aim of this research is to evaluate the catalytic efficiency of TiO2 nanocatalyst in fast pyrolysis. Leucaena leucocephala was used as the feedstock pyrolyzed in the presence of TiO2 catalyst in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. The influence of pyrolysis temperature, catalytic zone temperature and TiO2 catalyst to biomass (T/W) ratio on bio-oil production was evaluated. The structure and surface chemistry of TiO2 catalyst were characterized by various analytical techniques. The characteristics and composition of the biomass were also investigated. In the absence of the catalyst, the maximum bio-oil yield of 54.21% was achieved at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 degrees C. Regarding the influence of catalytic zone temperature, pyrolysis at 600 degrees C using the T/W ratio of 1:1 resulted in an upgraded bio-oil product the yield of which was 59.98%. The obtained bio-oil contained 27.1% oxygen content with the HHV of 29.1 MJ/kg, indicating the TiO2 catalyst could enhance the yield of bio-oil, accompanied by a decrease in gas generation. Moreover, in this study, the maximum yield 67.1% was obtained using 3:1 T/W ratio. The obtained bio-oil consisted of oxygen content 24.5% and generated the highest HHV of 31.5 MJ/kg. Thus, the TiO2 catalyst had a potential for improving production efficiency of bio-oil product.