Preliminary Studies of Bio-oil from Fast Pyrolysis of Coconut Fibers

Abstract

This work studied fast pyrolysis as a way to use the residual fiber obtained from the shells of coconut ( Cocos nucifera L. var. Dwarf, from Aracaju, northeastern Brazil). The bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis and the aqueous phase (formed during the pyrolysis) were characterized by GC/qMS and GC×GC/TOF-MS. Many oxygenated compounds such as phenols, aldehydes, and ketones were identified in the extracts obtained in both phases, with a high predominance of phenolic compounds, mainly alkylphenols. Eighty-one compounds were identified in the bio-oil and 42 in the aqueous phase using GC/qMS, and 95 and 68 in the same samples were identified by GC×GC/TOF-MS. The better performance of GC×GC/TOF-MS was due to the possibility of resolving some coeluted peaks in the one-dimension gas chromatography. Semiquantitative analysis of the samples verified that 59% of the area on the chromatogram of bio-oil is composed by phenols and 12% by aldehydes, mainly furfural. Using the same criterion, 77% of the organic compounds in the aqueous phase are phenols. Therefore, this preliminary assessment indicates that coconut fibers have the potential to be a cost-effective and promising alternative to obtain new products and minimize environmental impact.

Pyrolysis of Agroindustrial Residues of Coffee, Sugarcane Straw and Coconut-Fibers in a Semi-pilot Plant for Production of Bio-oils: Gas Chromatographic Characterization

“…Lignin, however, is harder to decompose, presenting a wider range of temperature (160-900 ºC) for producing the corresponding weight loss [17,18]. These observations are in agreement with previous works and were used to determine the final temperature of the pyrolysis (700 ºC) [15,19].…”

“…TGA-60 H, Japan) following the methodology described by Almeida [15] and coworkers. Briefly, samples were heated from 26 to 900 ºC, with a heating rate of 10 ºC min -1 , in a nitrogen atmosphere.…”

“…In a recent study using GC/MS and GC×GC/MS, Cunha et al [24] identified (comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometry) an elevated percentage of aliphatic hydrocarbons after the fractionation of sugar cane straw bio-oil. Almeida et al [15] found that phenols and aldehydes corresponded to 71% of the bio-oil from the pyrolysis of green coconut fibers.…”

Synthesis and Thermomechanical Properties of Polyurethanes and Biocomposites Derived from Macauba Oil and Coconut Husk Fibers

“…Additionally, it is reported the preparation of biocomposites with bio-based PUs reinforced with coconut husk fibers. Coconut husk fibers are extracted from the seed of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), and its predominant composition is 37-44 wt % of cellulose, 33 wt % of lignin, and 12-20 wt % of hemicellulose, which may vary according to the seasonal conditions, age, and variety of the plant [6,[17][18][19]. Coconut husk fibers are inexpensive agricultural and agro-industrial residues and their use in such composites can significantly reduce their environmental impact [6,17].…”

“…Coconut husk fibers are extracted from the seed of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), and its predominant composition is 37-44 wt % of cellulose, 33 wt % of lignin, and 12-20 wt % of hemicellulose, which may vary according to the seasonal conditions, age, and variety of the plant [6,[17][18][19]. Coconut husk fibers are inexpensive agricultural and agro-industrial residues and their use in such composites can significantly reduce their environmental impact [6,17]. The use of coconut husk fibers as reinforcement in MO-based PU composites constitutes a potential alternative to more costly systems prepared with bio-based PUs recently investigated, such as soy polyol-based PUs [20] and castor oil hyperbranched PUs reinforced with graphene [21].…”