EXPERIMENTAL YIELD AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PYROLYTIC BIO OIL AND BIO-CHAR OBTAINED FROM AN ARID PLANT

The pyrolysis of non-feed and milk weed biomass Calotropis procera stem (Erruku plant) was studied to determine the main characteristics and quantities of liquid and solid products. Experiments were carried out in a semi batch fixed bed reactor at a heating rate of 5 ◦C/min, with specified pyrolysis temperatures of 450, 500, 550 and 600°C and inert gas flow rates of 20 ml/min. The maximum pyrolytic liquid and char yields were 39.04% (550 ◦ C) and 46.2% (450 ◦C) respectively. The TG-DTG analyses were performed on the raw material to investigate the thermal degradation of Calotropis procera stem. The elemental analysis and heating value of the bio-oils were determined, and then the chemical composition of the bio-oil was investigated using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques such as column chromatography and FTIR. In addition, the char was characterized by elemental and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. From the experimental results the liquid products biooil) can be used as liquid fuels and the solid product (bio-char) has a high calorific value of 27.68 MJ/kg seems to be suitable for active carbon.