Catalytic fast pyrolysis of rice husk: Influence of commercial and synthesized microporous zeolites on deoxygenation of biomass pyrolysis vapors

Research on utilization of abundant rice residue for valuable bioenergy products is still not explored completely. A simple, robust, cheap, and one-step fast pyrolysis reactor is still a key demand for production of bioenergy products, ie, high quality bio-oil and biochar. Bio-oil extracted from fast pyrolysis does not have adequate quality (eg, acidic and highly oxygenated). Catalytic fast pyrolysis using zeolites in the fast pyrolysis process effectively reduces the oxygen content (no H-2 required). In this paper, the zeolites with different pore sizes and shapes (small pore, SAPO-34 (0.56) and ferrierite (30); medium pore, ZSM-5 (30), MCM-22 (30), and ITQ-2 (30); and large pore zeolite, mordenite (30)) were tested in a drop-type fixed-bed pyrolyzer. Catalytic deoxygenation is conducted at 450 degrees C at the catalyst/biomass ratio of 0.1. Zeolite catalysts, its pore size and shape, could influence largely on deoxygenation. It was found that the small pore zeolites did not produce aromatics as compared to higher amount of aromatics formed in case of medium pore zeolites. ZSM-5 and ITQ-2 zeolites were especially efficient for the higher deoxygenation of biomass pyrolysis vapors due to better pore dimension and higher acidity.