Characterization of the pyrolysis oil produced in the slow pyrolysis of sunflower-extracted bagasse

Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.)-extracted bagasse pyrolysis experiments were performed in a fixed-bed reactor. The effects of heating rate, final pyrolysis temperature, particle size and pyrolysis atmosphere on the pyrolysis product yields and chemical compositions have been investigated. The maximum oil yield of 23% was obtained in N(2) atmosphere at a pyrolysis temperature of 550 degreesC and a heating rate of 7 degreesC min(-1). The chemical characterization has shown that the oil obtained from sunflower-extracted bagasse may be potentially valuable as fuel and chemical feedstocks. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.