Pyrolysis of Barks from Three Japanese Softwoods

Abstract

Along with Japanese cedar bark, fir bark and Japanese larch bark were pyrolyzed to estimate the possibility of utilizing these softwood barks as resources for fine chemicals by comparing the pyrolysis product compositions. The three softwood barks contained higher ash content and yielded lower amount of volatiles when compared with cedar heartwood. The major pyrolysis products from their barks were similar to those previously reported from softwood trunks. Levoglucosan was a major pyrolysis product formed from the three softwood barks, despite being a minor product from wood trunk pyrolysis. Therefore, softwood barks can be expected as a feedstock for production of levoglucosan. An increase in the moisture content in the cedar bark generated more pyrolysis products. This result indicates that softwood barks do not require drying prior to pyrolysis, which simplifies the pyrolysis system.