Effect of Zn/ZSM-5 and FePO4 Catalysts on Cellulose Pyrolysis

A series of Zn/ZSM-5 catalysts with different Zn contents and FePO4 were used to pyrolyze cellulose to produce value added chemicals. The nature of these catalysts was characterized by ammonia-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD), IR spectroscopy of pyridine adsorption, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Noncatalytic and catalytic pyrolytic behaviors of cellulose were studied by thermogravimetric (TG) technique. The pyrolytic liquid products, that is, the biooils, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major components of the biooils are anhydrosugars such as levoglucosan (LGA), 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucofuranose (AGF), levoglucosenone (LGO, 1,6-anhydro-3,4-dideoxy-beta-D-pyranosen-2-one), and 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-alpha-D-glucopyranose (DGP), as well as furan derivatives, alcohols, and so forth. Zn/ZSM-5 samples with Bronsted and Lewis acid sites and the FePO4 catalyst with Lewis acid sites were found to have a significant effect on the pyrolytic behaviors of cellulose and product distribution. These results show that Bronsted and Lewis acid sites modified remarkably components of the biooil, which could promote the production of furan compounds and LGO. On the basis of the findings, a model was proposed to describe the pyrolysis pathways of cellulose catalyzed by the solid acid catalysts.