(2019) Journal of CO₂ Utilization_Catalytic thermolysis of oak sawdust using Fe-based catalyst and CO₂

Yoon K., Oh J.-I., Tsang D.C.W., Kwon E.E., Song H.

(Elsevier Ltd) Journal of CO2 Utilization ISSN: 22129820 Vol.32 Issue. Article No. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2019.04.024

To achieve the more sustainable thermolytic energy conversion platform for biomass, this study particularly employed CO₂ as reactive gas medium. Thus, this study laid great emphasis on elucidating the mechanistic role of CO₂ during the thermolysis of biomass. As a case study, sawdust was used as the carbon substrate in this study. Lab-scale pyrolysis of sawdust in the CO₂ environment revealed that the homogenous reactions between volatile organic carbons (VOCs) from the thermolysis of sawdust and CO₂. In detail, two mechanistic pathways arising from CO₂ were identified. First, CO₂ played a role for an oxygen-donor and reacted with VOCs, thereby resulting in CO formation. Second, CO₂ expedite thermal cracking of VOCs. In an effort to enhance the identified mechanistic role of CO₂, industrial waste, namely red mud, was mixed with sawdust to fabricate the Fe-carbon composite, and the Fe-carbon composite was further used as a catalyst. In the presence of the Fe-carbon composite, the identified mechanistic roles of CO₂ were further reinforced. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd.

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education ( NRF-2017R1D1A1A09000800 ).