Effect of inorganic constituents existing in empty fruit bunch (EFB) on features of pyrolysis products

Abstract

In this study, the effect of inorganic constituents on the physicochemical properties of pyrolytic products produced from empty fruit bunch (EFB) by fast pyrolysis were investigated. Inorganic constituents were removed from the EFB by means of washing treatment with hydrofluoric acid (HF) and distilled water (D.I water). Ash content decreased from 6.2 wt% (EFB) to 2.4 wt% (HF-EFB) and 3.5 wt% (D.I-EFB), respectively. As a result of the inorganic component, a quantity of potassium in EFB has showed the highest removal efficiency in both HF and D.I water (HF: 80.3%, D.I water: 72.8%). Fast pyrolysis was performed with demineralized EFB in the fluidized bed reactor under the temperature of 500 at the residence time of 1.3 sec. The yield of bio-oil was determined to 57.3 wt% for HF-EFB and 52.1 wt% for D.I-EFB, respectively. Biochar yield decreased whereas yield of non-condensable gas increased with decreasing inorganic content of EFB. Water content decreased from 26.9% (EFB) to 9.9% (HF-EFB) and viscosity increased from 16.1 cSt (EFB) to 334 cSt (HF-EFB).