Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis

The effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on its thermal degradation was studied thermogravimetrically and by Py-GC/MS using a control cellulose (Avicel, crystallinity at 60.5%) and ball-milled Avicel (low cellulose crystallinity at 6.5%). The crystallinity...

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Main Authors: Wang, Zhouhong, McDonald, Armando, Westerhof, Roel, Kersten, Sascha, Cuba-Torres, Christian, Ha, Su, Pecha, Brennan, Garcia-Perez, Manuel
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3635
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author Wang, Zhouhong
McDonald, Armando
Westerhof, Roel
Kersten, Sascha
Cuba-Torres, Christian
Ha, Su
Pecha, Brennan
Garcia-Perez, Manuel
author_facet Wang, Zhouhong
McDonald, Armando
Westerhof, Roel
Kersten, Sascha
Cuba-Torres, Christian
Ha, Su
Pecha, Brennan
Garcia-Perez, Manuel
author_sort Wang, Zhouhong
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on its thermal degradation was studied thermogravimetrically and by Py-GC/MS using a control cellulose (Avicel, crystallinity at 60.5%) and ball-milled Avicel (low cellulose crystallinity at 6.5%). The crystallinity of the materials studied was quantified by XRD and FTIR. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) show the samples with lower crystallinity start to degrade at lower temperatures, exhibiting sharper DTG curves and lower thermal degradation activation energies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of the solid residues formed in TGA tests showed that, while the conversion of the ball-milled cellulose (mostly amorphous cellulose)occurs through the formation of a liquid intermediate, in the conversion of the control the fibrous structure is conserved. Py-GC/MS studies showed major differences in the thermal behavior of the samples studied. At 300 degrees C, amorphous cellulose yielded more levoglucosan. At temperatures between 350 and 450 degrees C, higher yields of mono-anhydrosugars (levoglucosan and levoglucosenone) were obtained with the samples with higher crystallinity (control). The ball-milled cellulose produced more 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural, 5-methylfurfural and furfural. The higher yields of these compounds are due to the acceleration of dehydration reactions when a liquid phase intermediate was formed. Fragmentation reactions responsible for the formation of light compounds (glycoaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl-vinyl-ketone and acetol)and the reactions responsible for the formation of cyclopentane do not seem to be affected by cellulose crystallinity and by the formation of a liquid intermediate.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-36352017-09-13T14:44:37Z Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis Wang, Zhouhong McDonald, Armando Westerhof, Roel Kersten, Sascha Cuba-Torres, Christian Ha, Su Pecha, Brennan Garcia-Perez, Manuel Pyrolysis TGA Depolymerization Py-GC/MS Cellulose crystallinity The effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on its thermal degradation was studied thermogravimetrically and by Py-GC/MS using a control cellulose (Avicel, crystallinity at 60.5%) and ball-milled Avicel (low cellulose crystallinity at 6.5%). The crystallinity of the materials studied was quantified by XRD and FTIR. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) show the samples with lower crystallinity start to degrade at lower temperatures, exhibiting sharper DTG curves and lower thermal degradation activation energies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of the solid residues formed in TGA tests showed that, while the conversion of the ball-milled cellulose (mostly amorphous cellulose)occurs through the formation of a liquid intermediate, in the conversion of the control the fibrous structure is conserved. Py-GC/MS studies showed major differences in the thermal behavior of the samples studied. At 300 degrees C, amorphous cellulose yielded more levoglucosan. At temperatures between 350 and 450 degrees C, higher yields of mono-anhydrosugars (levoglucosan and levoglucosenone) were obtained with the samples with higher crystallinity (control). The ball-milled cellulose produced more 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural, 5-methylfurfural and furfural. The higher yields of these compounds are due to the acceleration of dehydration reactions when a liquid phase intermediate was formed. Fragmentation reactions responsible for the formation of light compounds (glycoaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl-vinyl-ketone and acetol)and the reactions responsible for the formation of cyclopentane do not seem to be affected by cellulose crystallinity and by the formation of a liquid intermediate. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3635 10.1016/j.jaap.2012.11.017 Elsevier restricted
spellingShingle Pyrolysis
TGA
Depolymerization
Py-GC/MS
Cellulose crystallinity
Wang, Zhouhong
McDonald, Armando
Westerhof, Roel
Kersten, Sascha
Cuba-Torres, Christian
Ha, Su
Pecha, Brennan
Garcia-Perez, Manuel
Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis
title Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis
title_full Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis
title_fullStr Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis
title_full_unstemmed Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis
title_short Effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis
title_sort effect of cellulose crystallinity on the formation of a liquid intermediate and on product distribution during pyrolysis
topic Pyrolysis
TGA
Depolymerization
Py-GC/MS
Cellulose crystallinity
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3635