Optimization of Pyrolysis Temperature and Particle Size on the Phenols and Hemicellulose Fast Pyrolysis Products in a Tandem Micro-Pyrolyzer

Fast pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse was investigated in a tandem micro-pyrolyzer. The effects of temperature and particle size on the phenolic compounds and hemicellulose products distribution were examined during fast pyrolysis process. For this, changes in the micro-reactor parameters were made (particle size between 0.1 and 0.5 mm and reactor temperature between 450 and 600 °C). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize pyrolysis parameters. The results indicated that the temperature had the highest effect on phenolic and furfural-type compounds, whereas the particle size did not exhibit significant effects on carboxylic acid products. The largest number of phenolic compounds were achieved upon decreasing the temperature and increasing particle size. The ANOVA analysis revealed that the full quadratic model was more adequate for phenolic and furfural compounds, whereas the linear square model was accurate for carboxylic acids. In general, a tandem micro-pyrolyzer interfacing with a GC-MS analysis facilitated a better understanding of a chemical composition of biomass and therefore, could remarkably improve the valorising of sugarcane bagasse application in biorefinery processes.