Effect of low-cost catalysts on yield and properties of fuel from waste biomass for hydrocarbon-rich oil production

The present study explored the influence of operating constraints and catalysts on the products yield and nature of organic pyrolytic oil. The pyrolysis of Madhuca indica seeds (MH) was executed in a semi-batch reactor at optimised environments (500 °C temperature, 80 °C min⁻¹ heating rate and 100 mL min⁻¹ sweep gas). Thermal pyrolysis of MH yielded 56.60 wt% pyrolytic liquid; while catalytic pyrolysis yielded 54.10 wt%, 55.10 wt%, 54.21 wt%, and 53.20 wt% pyrolytic liquid for K₂CO₃, zeolite, TiO₂, and MgO respectively. The characterisation of pyrolytic oil reiterated the introduction of catalysts extensively modified the properties of pyrolytic oil by reducing viscosity, oxygen content, ash content, and increasing the gross heating value. FTIR study of pyrolytic oil reprised the existence of phenols, water, ester, acids, and aromatics impurities. GC–MS results confirmed introduction of catalysts significantly augmented hydrocarbons volumes and curtailed the acid and oxygenated products. Further, the characterization results of Madhuca indica seeds biochar (MHC) confirmed its potential for diverse applications in the domestic and industrial sectors.