Volatile production from pyrolysis of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin

To better understand pyrolysis mechanism and further develop selective pyrolysis technology, characteristics of volatile products in the pyrolysis of three main components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) were investigated and compared by amplifying experiments in a tube furnace at 300–700 °C. Distribution of volatile products (including bio-oil and bio-gas), the influence of temperature and contributions of each single component were discussed in depth. It was found that, for each sample pyrolysis, pyrolysis temperature and their own chemical structures played an important role in the yields, composition of bio-oil and bio-gas. The optimal temperatures for production of bio-oil from cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin focused at 500 °C, 450 °C and 600 °C, respectively, and cellulose made greater contribution to bio-oil formation, and hemiellulose was the major contributor for bio-gas. Moreover, the more bio-gases from the three components generated at the higher temperature, but compositions of volatile products were different depending on their unique chemical structures. In the three components, cellulose produced the highest CO, hemicellulose owned the highest CO2, and lignin generated the highest CH4 characterized by the largest HHV. As for bio-oil, cellulose bio-oil displayed unique saccharides and higher furans, hemicellulose bio-oil contained higher acids and ketones, while phenols were the dominant composition of lignin bio-oil.