Pyrolysis of corn stalks: the potential of using bio-oil as a fuel

Abstract

Due to the increasing consumption of fossil fuels, there is a growing demand for renewable energy resources. At the same time, a significant amount of agricultural waste accumulates, including corn residues, and the efficient management of this waste is a challenge. In this work, the waste biomass, which consisted of the stalks of two types of corn, was characterized and subjected to the pyrolysis process at 400 ℃. The physicochemical characterization of the obtained liquid fraction (bio-oil) was performed, and the obtained data were compared with the literature data for liquid biofuel. The calorific value of bio-oil was above 22 MJ kg-1, which indicates the good potential of waste corn biomass as an energy source. With appropriate further changes in the composition of waste, by adding materials with a higher carbon and hydrogen content, corn stalks can represent a significant energy source, with better regulation of disposal and storage of agricultural waste.