Investigation into role of CO2 in two-stage pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds

Abstract

As a way of improving process efficiency of pyrolysis of waste biomass, the effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) on pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds (SCGs) was examined using a two-stage pyrolysis reactor consisting of a region with increasing temperature and an isothermal region. It was experimentally validated that CO2 accelerates thermal cracking of organic compounds formed during the pyrolysis of SCGs. The expedited thermal cracking attributed to employing CO2 in pyrolysis of SCGs led to changing pyrolytic products in gas, liquid, and solid phases. The production of gaseous carbon monoxide was increased when using CO2 as the pyrolysis medium. In liquid pyrolytic products, the formation of phenolic compounds was hindered in the CO2-assited pyrolysis. Biochar morphology (solid pyrolytic product) was also changed with different pyrolysis environments. This study shows that CO2 can help improve applicability of pyrolysis of waste biomass by modifying three phase pyrolytic products in a two-stage pyrolyzer.