Bio-char and bio-oil production from pyrolysis of palm kernel shell and polyethylene

In recent years, palm kernel shell (PKS) has become a viable feedstock for making biofuels and value-added commodities using a variety of thermal conversion routes. Therefore, significant conservation is required for PKS as a resource for fuel production in biofuel facilities. Thus, this research was intended to elucidate the effects on PKS as a solid fuel through torrefaction and the production of bio-char and bio-oil by single and co-pyrolysis of PKS and polyethylene (PE). The PKS was treated through torrefaction at different temperatures and holding times. The optimum parameters for torrefaction were a temperature of 250oC and a holding time of 60 min. Then the PKS and PE were pyrolyzed in a fixed-bed reactor at different temperatures and ratios. The product yield was analysed for single and co-pyrolysis of PKS and PE for pyrolysis. The properties of the product composition for single and co-pyrolysis of the PKS and PE were determined by proximate analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The optimum parameter obtained for bio-char and bio-oil production from co-pyrolysis of PKS and PE was at temperature of 500oC at a ratio of 1:2 (PKS: PE). The ester and phenol compounds were increased around 19.02 to 23.18% and 32.51 to 34.80 %, respectively, while amide and amine decreased around 4.94 to 18.87% and 0.63 to 32.39 %, respectively, compared to the single pyrolysis of PKS. Therefore, the PKS and PE co-pyrolysis significantly increased the amount of phenol and ester compounds while slightly reducing the amount of amide and amine compounds in the bio-oil product. As a conclusion, biomass conservation enables the manufacturing of value-added chemicals.