Understanding the Fast Pyrolysis of Lignin

TLDR

The study investigates the pyrolysis of corn stover lignin using a micro‑pyrolyzer coupled to GC‑MS/FID. Pyrolysis was performed in a micro‑pyrolyzer with 15–20 ms residence times to limit secondary reactions, and the resulting vapors were condensed into bio‑oil that was analyzed by GC‑MS and GPC while varying mineral additives and temperature to assess their effects on product distribution. The experiments achieved an 84 % mass balance and near‑complete carbon closure, revealing that monomeric lignin fragments are the primary pyrolysis products that recombine into oligomers, thereby providing insights into lignin pyrolysis mechanisms and a foundation for more descriptive biomass pyrolysis models.

Abstract

In the present study, pyrolysis of corn stover lignin was investigated by using a micro-pyrolyzer coupled with a GC-MS/FID (FID=flame ionization detector). The system has pyrolysis-vapor residence times of 15-20 ms, thus providing a regime of minimal secondary reactions. The primary pyrolysis product distribution obtained from lignin is reported. Over 84 % mass balance and almost complete closure on carbon balance is achieved. In another set of experiments, the pyrolysis vapors emerging from the micro-pyrolyzer are condensed to obtain lignin-derived bio-oil. The chemical composition of the bio-oil is analyzed by using GC-MS and gel permeation chromatography techniques. The comparison between results of two sets of experiments indicates that monomeric compounds are the primary pyrolysis products of lignin, which recombine after primary pyrolysis to produce oligomeric compounds. Further, the effect of minerals (NaCl, KCl, MgCl(2), and CaCl(2)) and temperature on the primary pyrolysis product distribution is investigated. The study provides insights into the fundamental mechanisms of lignin pyrolysis and a basis for developing more descriptive models of biomass pyrolysis.