Catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose for increasing contents of furans and aromatics in biofuel production

The catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose, cellobiose and glucose with the zeolite catalyst of NaY was carried out using thermogravimetric analyzer (TG) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Results from TG showed that all samples presented significant mass loss at low temperature and exhibited high residual chars with NaY. The activation energies of cellulose, cellobiose and glucose were significantly decreased with NaY. PY-GC/MS showed that saccharides were significantly decreased or even completely eliminated and converted into furans, aromatics, phenols and light oxygenates with NaY. The contents of furans of cellulose, cellobiose and glucose with NaY were increased from 17.48%, 18.79% and 28.77% to 46.71%, 52.11% and 67.81%, respectively. Pyrolysis of cellulose and cellobiose presented high selectivity of BTX (Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene). The furans are mainly formed on the surface of NaY by dehydration, fragmentation/retro-aldol condensation, decarbonylation, or decarboxylation. The pyrolysis intermediates of anhydro-oligosaccharides dominated the formation of aromatics and phenols during the catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose in the zeolite catalyst pores at the active sites.