Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2025
07:30
Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass Residues in a Twin-screw Mixing Reactor
Published on: September 9, 2016
27.6K
Insight into the Pyrolysis of Melocanna baccifera Biomass: Pyrolysis Behavior, Kinetics, and Thermodynamic Parameters
Pikesh Kumar1, Kaustubha Mohanty1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India.
ACS Omega
|March 10, 2025
Summary
This study analyzes the thermal degradation of Melocanna baccifera biomass using various kinetic methods. Results show potential for producing sustainable chemicals and fuel from this biomass feedstock.
Area of Science:
- Biomass energy conversion
- Thermochemical processing
- Renewable energy research
Background:
- Melocanna baccifera biomass is an underutilized resource.
- Understanding its thermal degradation is crucial for efficient conversion.
- Pyrolysis offers a pathway for valorizing biomass into valuable products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the thermal degradation kinetics and thermodynamics of Melocanna baccifera biomass.
- To determine the optimal conditions for producing biochar and bio-oil.
- To evaluate the chemical composition and properties of pyrolysis products.
Main Methods:
- Non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis at four heating rates.
- Application of multiple iso-conversional methods (Friedman, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Ozawa-Flynn-Wall, Starink, DAE).
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for chemical analysis of products.
Main Results:
- Kinetic parameters (pre-exponential factor, activation energy) were determined across various iso-conversional methods.
- Optimal pyrolysis at 550 °C yielded 53.67 wt% liquid plus biochar.
- Biochar produced at 550 °C exhibited a BET surface area of 58.69 m² g⁻¹ and a high heating value of 27.27 MJ kg⁻¹.
- GC-MS analysis revealed significant amounts of phenols (42.18%), ketones (14.33%), and alcohols (11.72%) in the pyrolysis products.
Conclusions:
- Melocanna baccifera biomass is a viable feedstock for producing sustainable chemicals and fuels.
- Pyrolysis generates valuable biochar and bio-oil with diverse applications.
- The determined kinetic and thermodynamic data are essential for designing efficient biomass conversion processes.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Flame Photometry: Lab
204
In a flame photometer, when a solution like potassium chloride is aspirated into the flame, the solvent evaporates, leaving behind dehydrated salt. This salt dissociates into free gaseous atoms in their ground state. Some of these atoms absorb energy from the flame, leading to their excitation. The excited atoms return to the ground state, emitting photons at characteristic wavelengths. Because only electronic transitions are involved, the resulting emission lines are very narrow. The intensity...
204
01:02Flame Photometry: Overview
423
Flame photometry, also known as flame emission spectrometry, is a technique used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of elements present in a sample using a flame as the source of excitation energy. The concept of flame photometry was realized in the early 1860s by Kirchhoff and Bunsen, who discovered that specific elements emit characteristic radiation when excited in flames. The first instrument developed for this purpose was used to measure sodium (Na) in plant ash using a Bunsen...
423
02:12Enthalpy and Heat of Reaction
8.2K
Combustion, commonly known as burning, is a reaction in which a substance reacts with an oxidizing agent, which in most cases is molecular oxygen, to liberate energy in the form of heat, light, or sound. The heat of combustion is also known as the enthalpy of combustion. The energy released when one mole of a substance undergoes complete combustion at constant pressure is called molar heat of combustion. Combustion reactions are exothermic; that is, they release energy, and their ΔH sign...
8.2K
01:10Hydrolysis of Chlorobenzene to Phenol: Dow Process
2.6K
Simple aryl halides do not react with nucleophiles under normal conditions. However, the reaction can proceed under drastic conditions involving high temperatures and high pressure to give the substituted products. For example, chlorobenzene is converted to phenol using aqueous sodium hydroxide at 350 °C under high pressure by the Dow process. The reaction follows an elimination-addition mechanism involving a benzyne intermediate. Here, the chloride ion is...
2.6K
02:35Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes
7.7K
The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
7.7K
01:20Fates of Pyruvate
8.3K
Pyruvate is the end product of glycolysis, where glucose is oxidized to pyruvate, simultaneously reducing NAD+ to NADH. Two molecules of ATP are also produced by substrate-level phosphorylation.
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...
8.3K