Research on the Pyrolysis Characteristics of Tomato Waste With Fe-Al2O3 Catalyst

Abstract

Pyrolysis is one of the promising thermal degradation processes to utilize biomass energy; it is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material in the nitrogen atmosphere. The use of catalyst in the biomass pyrolysis is an interesting approach to enhance the composition of the liquid pyrolysis product (bio-oil) and optimize the selectivity of desirable compounds. In this study, tomato waste bio-oil was upgraded by using alumina-supported iron catalyst (Fe-Al2O3) to obtain a precious bio-oil via catalytic pyrolysis. The effect of catalyst on the product yields and bio-oil content was investigated. Pyrolysis of tomato waste gave a maximum liquid yield of 24.01% at the pyrolysis temperature of 500°C. Use of Fe-Al2O3 catalyst caused an increase in higher heating value of bio-oil. From the viewpoint of energy recovery, 20% was the most impressive ratio of catalyst to biomass. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.