Hydrocarbon Production from Catalytic Pyrolysis-GC/MS of Sacha Inchi Residues Using SBA-15 Derived from Coal Fly Ash

Abstract

In this work, Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilisL.) residues were used as biomass feedstocks in catalytic upgrading pyrolysis with SBA-15, which is a substance synthesized from coal fly ash (CFA), using alkali fusion, followed by hydrothermal treatment (SBA-15-FA). The catalytic activity of fly ash-derived SBA-15 was investigated through the fast pyrolysis of Sacha inchi residues for upgrading the pyrolysis vapors using the analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS (Py-GC/MS) technique. The pyrolysis temperature was set at 500 degrees C and held for 30 s while maintaining the Sacha inchi residues to catalyst ratios of 1:0, 1:1, 1:5, and 1:10. In addition, the SBA-15s synthesized from chemical reagent and commercial SBA-15 were evaluated for comparison. The non-catalytic fast pyrolysis of Sacha inchi (SI) mainly consisted of fatty acids (46%), including chiefly linoleic acid (C18:2). Other compounds present were hydrocarbon (26%) and nitrogen-containing compounds (8.7%), esters (9.0%), alcohols (6.4%), and furans (3.6%). The study results suggested that the SBA-15-FA showcased a high ability to improve aliphatic selectivity (mainly C-5-C-20) and was found to be almost 80% at the biomass to catalyst ratio of 1:5. Moreover, the increase in catalyst contents affected the enhancement of hydrocarbons yields and tended to promote the deoxygenation reaction. Interestingly, the catalytic performance of SBA-15 derived from fly ash could be compared to that of the commercial SBA-15 in terms of producing hydrocarbon compounds as well as reducing oxygenated compounds.