Catalytic pyrolysis of apricot kernel shell over metal supported MCM-41 catalysts obtained by synthesizing sonochemical method

In this study, it is targeted to examine the efficiency of metal supported MCM-41 catalysts on the liquid product yield from pyrolysis process of apricot kernel shell selected as a biomass and to characterize the pyrolysis liquids. In the non-catalytic pyrolysis experiments, the maximum liquid yield is obtained as 21.41 % at 500 °C. At the determined optimum condition, catalytic pyrolysis process of the biomass sample is performed with metal supported MCM-41 catalysts synthesized by sonochemical method (metal: aluminium, cobalt, iron) at different ratios to biomass (1 and 2 wt %). The pyrolysis procedures of apricot kernel shell are carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor at different pyrolysis temperatures. The use of catalysts improved both the liquid product (tar) yield and tar quality in respect to the calorific value, the distribution of hydrocarbons and the elimination of oxygenated groups. The results revealed that all metal-supported MCM-41 catalysts, especially the Fe-MCM-41 catalyst ratio of 2, showed an excellent catalytic ability for thermal conversion of biomass. In the catalytic pyrolysis experiments carried out at 500 °C, 75.84 % conversion to liquid and gaseous products was obtained using 2 % Fe-MCM-41 catalyst, and the calorific value of the liquid product obtained was determined as 40.96 MJ/kg. The functional group analyses in the structure of the liquid products are characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, and the distributions of the aliphatic/aromatic fractions of the liquid products are characterized using GC-MS technique. The H/C ratio of the liquid product obtained from catalytic pyrolysis is between light and heavy petroleum products and also has lower oxygen content and higher calorific value, indicating the potential of metal-supported MCM-41 catalyst for renewable hydrocarbon production from apricot kernel shell.