Curie-point pyrolysis of cellulose

Abstract

Microcrystalline cellulose was pyrolysed using a Curie-point pyrolyser, directly attached to a GLC apparatus, at 460°C for 5 sec under a neat condition without any additives. Although the total yield of organic volatile fraction was not so high, 2-furaldehyde and levoglucosenone were observed as the major components in this fraction. Another volatile product, 1, 6-anhydro-3-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosen, was also identified as the intermediate between levoglucosan and levoglucosenone. Levoglucosan could not be directly detected by the pyrolysis—GLC technique because of its low volatility, but it was thought to be one of the major components of the tar produced. Only slight amounts of these anhydro sugar homologues were observed in the Curie-point pyrolysis with D-glucose, cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, cellopentaose, and cellohexaose, though furans were abundantly observed in the volatile fractions. These results suggest the following two paths for the thermal decomposition reaction of cellulose at the initial stage:Cellulose→Levoglucosan, 1, 6-anhydro-3-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosen, and levoglucosenoneCellulose→5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde, 2-furaldehyde, and other furan compounds. © 1975 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan. All Rights Reserved.