Studies on pyrolysis of wheat straw residues from ethanol production by solid-state fermentation

A new biomass, wheat straw residue (WSR) from ethanol production by solid-state fermentation was pyrolyzed in a fixed-bed at different temperatures 250-550 degrees C for 40 min with vacuum of 5 mmHg. The gas, oil and solid residue from pyrolysis process were investigated. GC analysis indicated that the pyrolyzed non-condensable gases mainly contained CO, CO2, H-2, CH4, C2H4 and C2H6. The HPLC analysis showed that glycolic acid (about 70% of water-soluble organic acids) in the oil was a major component. (C0 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.