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Title: Simultaneous thermogravimetric-mass spectrometric studies of the thermal decomposition of biopolymers. 2. Sugar cane bagasse in the presence and absence of catalysts

Journal Article · · Energy and Fuels; (USA)
OSTI ID:5207654
;  [1]; ; ; ;  [2]
  1. Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu (USA)
  2. Research Lab. for Inorganic Chemistry, Budapest (Hungary)

Differential thermogravimetric (DTG) curves are compared with simultaneously measured mass spectrometric intensities, giving the rates of evolution of low molecular weight products formed during the pyrolysis of sugar cane bagasse at a low heating rate (10{degree}C/min). The three major DTG peaks observed during the experiments resulted from the decomposition of the carbohydrate components of the bagasse, supporting the concept of the approximate additivity of the thermochemical properties of the biopolymer constituents of lignocellulosic materials. A thermal pretreatment of 2 h at 260{degree}C destroyed the hemicellulose component of the bagasse but did not enhance the char yield. Treatment of the samples with dilute solutions of inorganic salts (MgCl{sub 2}, NaCl, FeSO{sub 4}, and ZnCl{sub 2}) decreased the amount of detected low molecular weight organic products. Taking into account the time dependence of the mass spectrometric intensities and the DTG curves, this decrease can be attributed to a decrease in secondary cracking of the primary pyrolysis products. We suppose that the addition of inorganic salts facilitates the escape of vapors from the solid matrix by swelling the fibrous structure of the bagasse. NaCl, FeSO{sub 4}, and ZnCl{sub 2} have different effects on the various steps of the decomposition. They all increase the char yield, but only ZnCl{sub 2} catalyzes the dehydration reactions.

OSTI ID:
5207654
Journal Information:
Energy and Fuels; (USA), Vol. 2:3; ISSN 0887-0624
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English