(628g) Catalytic Pyrolysis of Sugar Cane Bagasse and Rice Straw

Proper utilization of agricultural wastes is particularly important not only for prevention of environmental pollution but also creation of value added by-products from them. In rural areas, the agricultural wastes is a good resource for animal feed if the transportation cost are low. If there is no local demand for such wastes burning in the fields is a common practice; which although is an easy solution for the farmers create air pollution for the close and distant localities. Sugar cane bagasse (SCB) and rice straw (RS) are potential environmental thread in countries where huge amount of such waste have no industrial utilization. Biochemical or thermochemical conversion technologies can be used to convert agricultural waste streams into biobased chemicals and biofuels. In this research, SCB and RS supplied from Egypt were pyrolyzed in a 2-inch fast pyrolysis reactor at 450^oC. Commercial HZSM-5 and granulated red mud were used as the catalyst and nitrogen was used for fluidizing the system. The yields of SCB and RS pyrolysis liquids ranged from 35% and 28% over HZSM-5 catalyst and 36% and 24% over red mud catalyst respectively. The pH of the SCB and RS pyrolysis oils was 2.0-3.0 . The yields of char were 16% and 42% respectively for SCB and RS over HZSM-5 catalyst and 31% and 40% respectively for SCB and RS over red mud catalyst. The gas products were 30% (SCB) and 40% (RS) over HZSM-5 catalyst and 32% (SCB) and 36%(RS) over red mud catalyst. The majority of the gas were CO₂, CO and CH₄ together with H₂ and C₂-C₄ hydrocarbons at lower concentrations.