Influence of Secondary Reactions on the Heat of Pyrolysis of Biomass

The thermal behaviors during the pyrolysis of two different biomass samples, beech wood from carpentry residuals and artichoke thistle from energy-dedicated crops, were investigated. Thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and thermogravimetry coupled to Fourier transform infrared (TG-FTIR) analysis of evolving products were used to investigate the thermal effects of the pyrolysis process. The role of pretreatments (hot-water washing, ethanol extraction, and their combination) was also analyzed. High alterations in the heat demand were observed as a function of the initial sample mass and pyrolysis conditions. The role of vapor-solid secondary interactions was evidenced by the evolution profiles of the main pyrolysis products.