Production and characterization of bio-oil and bio-char from pyrolysis of potato peel wastes

Bio-oil and bio-char were produced from potato peel waste (PPW) and PPW fermentation residue (PPW-FR) using a laboratory-scale auger pyrolyzer at 450 degrees C. Proximate and ultimate analyses of the feedstock materials PPW and PPW-FR were determined. The bio-oils were fractionated and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The bio-chars were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and butane activity (BA) measurement. The PPWand PPW-FR bio-oils had a relatively high level of lipid and suberin-derived compounds as compared with hybrid poplar (HP) pyrolysis bio-oil. The BA measurement also suggested that PPW and PPW-FR biochars have better adsorption performances than HP bio-char.