SLOW STEAM PYROLYSIS OF CELLULOSE, HEMICELLULOSE AND LIGNIN. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN COMPONENTS IN SURROGATE MIXTURES

Biomass thermochemical decomposition products have been extensively studied as renewable substitutes of conventional fossil fuel. The approach proposed in this work considers vegetal waste as a source of both energy and matter through the production of a vapor phase fuel, highly diluted in steam, suitable to be burned in non-conventional combustion systems and a char with soil amending and fertilizing properties. To demonstrate the feasibility of such a process for real biomasses a basic study on characterization of biomass components is needed. This study characterizes steam pyrolysis up to 873 K (at pressure P= 5×105 Pa and heating rate HR=5 K/min) both of three single biomasses constituents (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and of three binary mixtures in order to evaluate possible interactions between the main biomass components. The results obtained highlight the importance of the interactions between components, mainly cellulose and lignin, on the yield and characteristics of both solid and gaseous products.