IMPROVEMENT OF PALM KERNEL SHELL PYROLYSIS CONVERSION AND ITS BIO-OIL PRODUCT THROUGH DUAL NATURAL CATALYSTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/aej.v16.25844Keywords:
Pyrolysis, natural zeolite, Bio-oil, Calcium Oxide, Natural Zeolite, Palm Kernel Shell, PyrolysisAbstract
This study examined the effects of calcium oxide (CaO) and natural zeolite (NZ) catalysts on the pyrolysis of palm kernel shell (PKS) to improve conversion efficiency and bio-oil quality. A 300 g sample of PKS was pyrolyzed in a stainless-steel reactor at 500 oC under four conditions: non-catalytic, CaO-catalyzed, NZ-catalyzed, and dual-catalyst (CaO‒NZ). The results showed that both CaO and NZ significantly affected the yields of bio-oil, non-condensable gas (NCG), and char. CaO enhanced cracking to produce lighter bio-oils (C2-C6), whereas NZ acted mainly on heavy intermediates; this upgrading produced both heavier condensed oxygenates and light fragments that remain non-condensable, leading to the highest NCG yield. The catalysts had little effect on bio-oil density but influenced viscosity, pH, and heating value. The dual catalyst produced bio-oil with improved properties: density 980 kg/m3, viscosity 1.63 cSt, pH 4.1, and heating value 30.76 MJ/kg. Mechanistically, CaO promoted cracking into lighter hydrocarbons (C2–C6), whereas NZ favored oligomerization, forming heavier molecules. In combination, CaO suppressed the oligomerization effect of NZ, giving a molecular distribution similar to CaO alone. Although the overall phenolic content changed only slightly, the catalysts significantly altered the ratio of simple to complex phenols. In addition, the dual catalyst facilitated the conversion of esters into ketones, further enhancing bio-oil composition.
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