Pyrolysis of coconut shell

Abstract

In the present scenario energy sectors and individual entrepreneurs can opt a new way of power generation using the most abundantly available renewable source of energy in the form of biomass wastes. Among the biomass resources coconuts are the abundant renewable resource of energy available all around the world. Literature review showed that limited research studies had been carried out on yielding the product from coconut shell pyrolysis. The objective of present work is to envisage the methodology of generating power by pyrolysis to obtain a high-grade of pyrolytic liquid that potentially could be used as a fuel or as feedstock to valuable chemicals. Pyrolysis is a thermal decomposition technique which decomposes carbonaceous bio wastes into liquids, gases, and char (solid residue) in the absence of oxygen. The thermal degradation temperature range of the raw material was studied using thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). In the initial phase of the study, experiments on pyrolysis of coconut shell were done for a temperature range of 450°C to 600°C to study the effect of temperature on various product yields. The liquid yield was highest for temperature of 575°C. The oil samples obtained at optimum condition is analysed according to their fuel properties, elemental analysis, functional group presents, and compounds presents. The solid residue was analysed. The char showed presence pores via SEM analysis. The char was used to prepare activated carbon. The work also includes kinetic study of the degradation of the coconut shell.