Different Pyrolysis Process Conditions of South Asian Waste Coconut Shell and Characterization of Gas, Bio-Char, and Bio-Oil

In the present study, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the impact of pyrolysis temperature on the outcome yields of waste coconut shells in a fixed bed reactor under varying conditions of pyrolysis temperature, from 400 to 800 °C. The temperature was increased at a stable heating rate of about 10 °C/min, while keeping the sweeping gas (Ar) flow rate constant at about 100 mL/min. The bio-oil was described by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) investigations and demonstrated to be an exceptionally oxygenated complex mixture. The resulting bio-chars were characterized by elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The output of bio-char was diminished pointedly, from 33.6% to 28.6%, when the pyrolysis temperature ranged from 400 to 600 °C, respectively. In addition, the bio-chars were carbonized with the expansion of the pyrolysis temperature. Moreover, the remaining bio-char carbons were improved under a stable structure. Experimental results showed that the highest bio-oil yield was acquired at 600 °C, at about 48.7%. The production of gas increased from 15.4 to 18.3 wt.% as the temperature increased from 400 to 800 °C. Additionally, it was observed that temperature played a vital role on the product yield, as well as having a vital effect on the characteristics of waste coconut shell slow-pyrolysis.