Experimental study on char production from the pyrolysis of biomass

Nowadays, the pyrolysis process is an essential step in thermochemical conversion processes of the biomass commonly used. The study of the pyrolysis of lignocellulosic compounds is important for a better understanding of the thermochemical conversion processes of biomass. The experimental setup was performed at the faculty of Engineering, Suez Canal University. The experimental study of cellulose pyrolysis reveals that the carbon solid residue yield depends on both the operating parameters used and the geometric characteristics of the sample. These experimental results are expanded to natural materials, including lignin and hemicellulose. This study is completed by identifying the thermal phenomena intervening during this process by differential thermal analysis of the constituents of the biomass. The obtained results showed that the thickness of the samples has no influence on the loss of mass at the end of pyrolysis. Consequently, the size of the form factor diameter/thickness does not have relevant data to characterize a sample. Indeed, for pellets of different form factors, the loss of mass differs little. The analysis of thermal phenomena occurring during the pyrolysis of the beech is the sum of the thermal phenomena of each of its constituents, namely, a peak endothermic relative to cellulose and an exothermic peak relating to lignin.