Dissertation
DEVELOPMENT OF BIOCHAR-DERIVED CARBON CATALYSTS FOR UPGRADING BIO-OIL AND SYNGAS FROM CO-PYROLYSIS OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS AND WASTE PLASTICS
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
05/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006486
Abstract
The modern world's reliance on fossil energy sources has led to significant challenges, including an impending energy crisis and environmental degradation. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these issues, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions and waste management strategies. Lignocellulosic biomass, considered a renewable and abundant resource, holds promise as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based fuels. Similarly, with its widespread use and environmental concerns, plastic waste presents an opportunity for resource recovery through thermal decomposition methods like pyrolysis. However, challenges such as low energy efficiency and product quality hinder the widespread adoption of these techniques. To address these challenges, this research investigates using carbon-based catalysts derived from biochar to enhance the co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastics. These catalysts aim to improve product yields and quality by facilitating desirable chemical reactions during pyrolysis. Through rigorous experimentation and statistical analysis, biochar-derived catalysts' catalytic mechanisms and performance metrics are elucidated, offering insights into their potential applications in sustainable energy conversion and waste management. Besides, machine learning has also been applied for the future development of activated carbon from biochar. Overall, this thesis contributes to developing efficient and economically viable processes for converting biomass and plastic waste into valuable energy products, thereby advancing the goals of resource recovery, environmental sustainability, and circular economy principles.
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Details
- Title
- DEVELOPMENT OF BIOCHAR-DERIVED CARBON CATALYSTS FOR UPGRADING BIO-OIL AND SYNGAS FROM CO-PYROLYSIS OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS AND WASTE PLASTICS
- Creators
- Rongge Zou
- Contributors
- Hanwu Lei (Chair)Birgitte K Ahring (Committee Member)Joan Wu (Committee Member)Mariefel Olarte (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 237
- Identifiers
- 99901121439401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation