Jatropha waste meal as an alternative energy source via pressurized pyrolysis: A study on temperature effects
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2016 Elsevier Ltd As an alternative energy source, Jatropha is a promising biomass resource due to its high content of oil contained in the seed. However, after the oil extraction process, more than 50% of initial weight remained as residue. This Jatropha de-oiled cake was considered a valuable feedstock for thermochemical conversion process due to its high volatile matter (73%) and energy content (20.5MJ/kg). Pyrolysis turned biomass into solid product of biochar, liquid product (bio-oil and aqueous phase), and pyrolysis gas. The effects of pyrolysis temperature under the pressure of 0.69MPa on the product yields and characteristics were investigated using a bench-scale batch reactor. The gross calorific value of pyrolytic oil was measured to be 35MJ/kg with high carbon content (71%) and low oxygen content (10%). Phenols and hydrocarbons were the main compounds present in the pyrolytic oil. The heating value of the biochar was also high (28MJ/kg), which was comparable to the fuel coke. More combustible gases were released at high pyrolysis temperature with methane as a main constituent. Pyrolysis temperature of 500C, was determined to be an optimum condition for the mass and energy conversions with 89% of the mass and 77% of the energy recovered.
