Potential Bio-Oil Production from Invasive Aquatic Plants by Microscale Pyrolysis Studies

The invasive aquatic plants Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), Eichhornia azurea, and Nymphaea spp. were evaluated as sources of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of bio-oil. These plants have high growth rates that can lead to various environmental problems and the production of large amounts of waste biomass. The materials were characterized in terms of their contents of moisture, oil, and ash, and by analysis using thermogravimetry, infrared spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis, and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDX). The in natura biomasses had moisture contents of around 90%. Micropyrolysis studies were performed at 500 degrees C using the dried biomasses (ca. 8% moisture). The liquid product of pyrolysis (bio-oil) was trapped in an adsorbent and then eluted with different solvents. The best recovery was achieved using tetrahydrofuran. The bio-oil solutions were derivatized with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main compounds found in the bio-oils were glycerol, o-benzenediol, p-benzenediol, arabinoic acid, levuglucosan, and hexadecanoic acid.