CATALYTIC PYROLYSIS OF PLANT-BIOMASS IN A POWDER-PARTICLE FLUIDIZED-BED

Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass materials was carried out by using a po wder-particle fluidized bed (PPFB). Three kinds of wood-chips and a ri ce-shell were used in the experiment. Six kinds of catalyst particles were used as bed medium particles and the effect of catalyst upon pyro lysis products was investigated. A comparison was also made between th e present results and those of the coal obtained previously by the aut hors. It was found that in the primary pyrolysis of wood-chips, the we ight of the volatile matter was almost constant above a temperature of 700 K, and yields of light aromatic hydrocarbons, i.e, benzene, tolue ne, xylene and naphthalene (BTXN), increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. BTXN yield of 3.1 wt% was obtained at a temperature of 1 173 K. When wood-chip was pyrolyzed in a fluidized bed of CoMo-B parti cles under a hydrogen atmospaere, BTXN yield of 6.3 wt%, (BTX: 5.3 wt% , daf, N: 0.8 wt%, daf) was obtained at 863 K. For all of the biomass materials, the ratio of yields of hydrocarbon gases to that of light a romatic hydrocarbons under the above conditions was almost 2.5, which is the same as that obtained from Yallourn coal and Taiheiyo coal.