PYROLYSIS OF SUGARCANE BAGASSE IN A FIXED BED REACTOR: INFLUENCE OF OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTS

This work experimentally evaluated the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse in a fixed bed reactor in order to obtain products useful in energy applications. The raw material was characterized to understand its behaviour during the thermal degradation process. The effects of operating conditions on mass yields of bio-oil, biochar, and non-condensable gases were investigated. The operating variables studied were temperature (400 to 700 degrees C), particle size (<0.5 mm, 0.5-1.0 mm, and 1.0-1.41 mm), heating rate (5, 10, and 15 degrees C/min), and nitrogen flow (50, 100, and 200 mL/min). Analysis of variance showed that for almost all product mass yields, with the exception of the effect of nitrogen flow in bio-oil yield, the treatment levels result in different means. The highest bio-oil yield (0.54 g/g) occurred at 600 degrees C, at a heating rate of 15 degrees C/min, at a flow rate of 200 mL/min, and for a particle size of 0.5 to 1.0 mm. The process temperature and particle size were the most influential factors in the results.