Bio-oil from catalytic and non-catalytic pyrolysis of glycerol






Abstract

The rapid increasing of fuel consumption cause the resource is depleting fast and threat the continuation of energy supply. Because of that, petroleum price is rising. Therefore, the variation of alternative fuels are being exploited to sustain the energy requirements in the future.

Recently, there is no technology to utilize glycerol from transesterification process in Indonesia. However, glycerol could be utilized into fuel as bio-oil by pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is thermal decomposition occuring in the absence of oxygen and produce of brown liquid that contained oxygenated compounds, called bio-oil.

The objective was to compare the liquid product from catalytic and non-catalytic pyrolysis of glycerol. Processes were run at temperatures of 400 0C, 500 0C, 600 0C and at some various of flow rates. Glycerol as feed was vaporized and brought by the carrier gas. For the catalytic pyrolysis, 13.33 fresh Grace Davison® pellet catalyst was used for each run. The flue vapor was passed into condenser to get the liquid fraction, bio-oil.

The research obtained the liquid fraction yield, thermal stability, and also the best calorific value. The best liquid fraction yield was obtained at 600 0C and 500 mL/s for non-catalytic process. Bio-oil from catalytic pyrolysis was more stable better than the other one. However, the best calorific value of bio-oil from non-catalytic process was 18645 J/g and 17149 J/g for bio oil from catalytic process.