New insights into microwave pyrolysis of biomass: preparation of carbon-based products from pecan nutshells and their application in wastewater treatment

Duran Jimenez, G.; Monti, Tamara; Titman, Jeremy J.; Hernandez-Montoya, V.; Kingman, S.W.; Binner, Eleanor

Abstract

Microwave pyrolysis of pecan nutshell (Carya illinoinensis) biomass was used to produce carbon-based solid products with potential application in contaminated water treatment.

A range of analytical techniques were applied to characterize the intermediate products of microwave pyrolysis in order to monitor the physio-chemical effects of the interacting energy on the biomass.

The performance of the carbon-based products was tested through evaluation of lead ion removal capacity from solution. Further analyses demonstrated that ion-exchange by calcium ions on the material surface was the main mechanism involved in lead removal. Calcium compound development was directly correlated to the interaction of the electromagnetic waves with the biomass.

Through monitoring the physio-chemical effects of biomass-microwave interactions during microwave pyrolysis, we have shown for the first time that the intermediate products differ from those of conventional pyrolysis. We hypothesise that selective heating leads to the (hemi)cellulosic and lignin degradation processes occurring simultaneously, whereas they are largely sequential in conventional pyrolysis.

This work provides optimization parameters essential for the large scale design of microwave processes for this application as well as an understanding of how the operating parameters impact on functionality of the resulting carbon-based materials.

Citation

Duran Jimenez, G., Monti, T., Titman, J. J., Hernandez-Montoya, V., Kingman, S., & Binner, E. (2017). New insights into microwave pyrolysis of biomass: preparation of carbon-based products from pecan nutshells and their application in wastewater treatment. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2017.02.013

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 15, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Feb 17, 2017
• Publication Date: Mar 31, 2017
• Deposit Date: Feb 21, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 21, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis
• Print ISSN: 0165-2370
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-250X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 124
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2017.02.013
• Keywords: Biomass; Pecan nutshells; Microwave pyrolysis; Lead removal; Ion exchange; Carbon-based product
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/853057
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165237016306118
• Contract Date: Feb 21, 2017