Exploring a Low-Cost Valorization Route for Amazonian Cocoa Pod Husks through Thermochemical and Catalytic Upgrading of Pyrolysis Vapors

Ecuador as an international leader in the production of cocoa beans produced more than 300 000 tons in 2021; hence, the management and valorization of the 2 MM tons of waste generated annually by this industry have a strategic and socioeconomic value. Consequently, appropriate technologies to avoid environmental problems and promote sustainable development and the bioeconomy, especially considering that this is a megadiverse country, are of the utmost relevance. For this reason, we explored a low-cost pyrolysis route for valorizing cocoa pod husks from Ecuador's Amazonian region, aiming at producing pyrolysis liquids (bio-oil), biochar, and gas as an alternative chemical source from cocoa residues in the absence of hydrogen. Downstream catalytic processing of hot pyrolysis vapors using Mo- and/or Ni-based catalysts and standalone gamma-Al2O3 was applied for obtaining upgraded bio-oils in a laboratory-scale fixed bed reactor, at 500 degrees C in a N-2 atmosphere. As a result, bimetallic catalysts increased the bio-oil aqueous phase yield by 6.6%, at the expense of the organic phase due to cracking reactions according to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) results. Overall product yield remained constant, in comparison to pyrolysis without any downstream catalytic treatment (bio-oil similar to 39.0-40.0 wt % and permanent gases 24.6-26.6 wt %). Ex situ reduced and passivated MoNi/gamma-Al2O3 led to the lowest organic phase and highest aqueous phase yields. The product distribution between the two liquid phases was also modified by the catalytic upgrading experiments carried out, according to heteronuclear single-quantum correlation (HSQC), total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY), and NMR analyses. The detailed composition distribution reported here shows the chemical production potential of this residue and serves as a starting point for subsequent valorizing technologies and/or processes in the food and nonfood industry beneficiating society, environment, economy, and research.

Automated summary

Ecuador, a leading producer of cocoa beans, recognizes the strategic and socioeconomic value of managing and valorizing the vast amount of waste generated by this industry. A low-cost pyrolysis route was explored to extract chemical products from cocoa pod husks, resulting in increased yield and improved quality of bio-oil through downstream catalytic processing.