Evaluation of the condensed gas from wood pyrolysis, considering primary reactions, and the lignin content effects

• Grant number: 13/05114-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Forest Biomass Energy
• Principal Investigator: José Otávio Brito
• Grantee: José Otávio Brito
• Host Investigator: Marcos Gabriel Millan-Agorio
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Imperial College London, England

Abstract

Brazil is the largest producer of charcoal destined primarily to the steel industry, being the only country to obtaining pig iron and steel using this source of energy. The concepts of pyrolysis are very closed to the charcoal production and this become extremely important basic knowledge concerning the subject. However, the Brazilian charcoal sector has been based in a empirical and oldfashioned sistem of production. Million tons of co-generated gases have been lost, causing environmental impacts, due the presence of several harmful chemical components and generating greenhouse effects. In 2006, these emissions accounted 3.61% of the total emissions of the Brazilian energy matrix. It becomes urgent to increase the knowledge about the process of pyrolysis, especially considering the range of temperature that optimizes the charcoal production. The presented proposal aims to conduct studies related to condensable gases generated in the pyrolysis. As innovative aspect, the study will be conduced in a way to priorize primary reactions. So, the generated gas will suffer less influence of incandescent charcoal, keeping the original composition coming from the wood degradation. It will be studied different species of wood, giving a range of variations in the lignin content. The research will be carried out at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, UK. (AU)