Pyrolysis and characterization of poplar mixed nanometal oxide catalysts

Poplar is an important wood bioresource and is one of the most dominant plantations in the world with high content of cellulose (52.99%). However, the pyrolytic products produced from poplar pyrolysis are not well studied and applied. In this study, pyrolysis of poplar mixed with different types and the ratio of nanometal oxide catalyst (NiO: 0.50 g, NiO–Ag: 0.25 + 0.25 g, Ag: 0.50 g, Fe2O3: 0.50 g, and Fe2O3–Ag: 0.25 + 0.25 g) were performed to identify the catalyst showing desirable performance in poplar pyrolysis. The thermogravimetry (TG) analysis revealed that adding Fe2O3 in pyrolysis has enhanced the decomposition of poplar where most of the weight loss (71.61 wt%) was in the temperature range of 25–780 °C. The results of the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed that the primary components of the produced bio-oil are acetaldehyde, methyl glyoxal, furfural, d-allose, and acetic acid, which can be used as raw materials in pharmaceuticals, industrial processes, and agricultural endeavours.