Production and characterization of bio-oil from pyrolysis of spiny bamboo (Bamboo blumeana)

• Main Authors: Jurilla, Martin Cole A., Miñano, Kandy Icy D., Sy, Pauline S.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Pyrolysis; Bamboo
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/9830
• Institution: De La Salle University

Due to the depletion of natural fossil fuels, it has become imperative to find other sources of environmentally-friendly and sustainable energy. Most alternative energy sources are derived from plant matter through processes such as fermentation or pyrolysis, to produce biofuels. Biofuels have a great potential as a renewable liquid fuel, due to its similarities with the conventional fossil fuel. However, most studies use starchy feedstocks which are preferably used for food instead of fuel. Now, researchers are branching out to inedible lignocellulosic feedstock such as bamboo for biofuel production. Bamboo is a highly sustainable biofuel source due to its fast reproduction, fast growth rate and high lignocellulose content. Bamboo feedstock can be pyrolyzed to produce bio-oils, since it does not naturally contain oils. For optimal yields, flash pyrolysis was done within a pyrolysis reactor for high heating rates and short vapor residence times. ANOVA and Multiple Linear Regression were used to generate a modeled equation and optimization of the system in this study. It was found that temperature and time had an effect on the yield of the bio-oil produced but the effect of the interaction between the two is insignificant. The operating conditions of the reactor system were studied to determine the conditions at which the process produces optimal yields. It is very evident that the temperature as well as the production time affects the bio-oil yield, with lower temperatures yielding the least bio-oil. The optimum operating conditions were at a temperature of 500°C and 9 minutes, producing a bio-oil yield of 60.41 wt-%. The produced bio-oil was also studied for its physiochemical properties such as its viscosity, density, pH, acid value, moisture content, and calorific value. From the experimentation, both bio-oil and biochar produced has a potential to be a renewable liquid and solid fuel.