ZEOLITES SYNTHESIZED FROM ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF SI AND AL: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH FOR CONVERTING BIOMASS TO BIOFUELS.
Residue, corncob, catalytic pyrolysis, ZSM-5, HZSM-5.
The way we deal with waste from different activities is essential to reduce the negative impacts they can have on the environment. Among these wastes, lignocellulosic biomass has great potential to be transformed into chemical products and fuels through conventional fast pyrolysis. This process generates bio-oil as its main product, whose properties are directly linked to the type of biomass used, and which can be improved with the use of catalysts. In this study, ZSM-5 and HZSM-5 catalysts were produced, using bentonite clay and rice husk ash as alternative sources of silicon and aluminum, in addition to a catalyst made from a conventional source of silicon and aluminum. The objective of synthesizing these materials is to use them as catalysts in the pyrolysis of corncob residue, seeking to obtain products with greater added value and reduce the formation of oxygenated and nitrogenated compounds. The biomass used was characterized by immediate analysis, density, elemental analysis, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content, calorific value, TG/DTG, DRX, in order to analyze its energy potential. The silicon and aluminum precursors were subjected to FRX, DRX analyses, and the catalysts were characterized by DRX, SEM and BET. The results of conventional pyrolysis of corncob residue showed a large production of oxygenated and nitrogenated products, and the results of catalytic pyrolysis showed a significant decrease in these compounds, which proves the effectiveness of the developed catalysts.