Pyrolysis of Oil Palm  Biomass

Pyrolysis is a thermal degradation of biomass materials in the complete absence of oxygen. The products obtained from pyrolysis of biomass were bio-oil, bio-char and gas. Bio-oil is a dark brown, free-flowing organic liquid that comprises of highly oxygenated compounds. It contains aldehydes, ketones and other compounds that can form larger molecules via aldol condensations during storage or handling. These reactions cause undesirable changes in the physical properties of bio-oil i.e. an increase in moisture and viscosity with decreased volatility. Bio-oil has ≈25 wt% water making it impossible to be readily separated. The moisture content of the feedstock used affects the characteristics of the produced bio-oil. An increase in bio-oil’s moisture would reduce the fuel's energy value. Small scale pyrolysis of oil palm biomass using a fluidized - fixed bed reactor has been conducted in MPOB. Currently, the research focuses on upgrading bio-oil produced into high value biochemical. Bio-oil can be potentially converted into useful chemicals by taking advantage of its most abundantly available functional groups; carbonyl, carboxyl and phenolic