Investigation of representative components of flue gas used as torrefaction pretreatment atmosphere and its effects on fast pyrolysis behaviors

In this study, three torrefaction atmosphere (N-2, CO2 and 2 vol% O-2 with N-2 balance) were used to study effects of representative main components of flue gas during torrefaction and subsequent pyrolysis. Torrefaction pretreatment was carried out in a fixed-bed reactor at 230 degrees C and 250 degrees C, respectively. Results showed after torrefaction, torrefied samples from oxygenated atmosphere presented severer hemicellulose decomposition. And its effects on fast pyrolysis were investigated in thermogravimetry analysis and bench-scale fixed-bed reactor. It was found that oxygenated atmosphere preferred to give higher relative content of phenols at 230 degrees C and furans at 250 degrees C. For CO2, higher relative content of ketones and lowest phenols were got. The result also indicated that it's the O-2 in flue gas which significantly improved the char yield. These results will be beneficial reference to predict and interpret alterations of pyrolysis behaviors when flue gas constitution changes in industrial application.