Production of bio-oil, physico-chemical and thermal analysis of degradation of pig fur biowaste

Abstract

This study looks into the potential of pig fur biowaste as a biomass source for renewable energy production using detailed characterisation, pyrolysis analysis, and kinetic studies. The effect of pyrolysis factors such as temperature and heating rate on bio-oil, biochar, and syngas production was investigated in a fixed bed reactor with readily available pig fur. The prepared materials were pyrolysed at 50 °C intervals between 300 and 600 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and proximate and ultimate analyses were all used to characterize pig fur biowaste. Proximate and ultimate analyses show that pig fur biowaste has a low moisture content of 7.97 % and a high volatile matter content of 73.10 %, indicating its suitability for efficient thermochemical processes. The ultimate analysis reveals a significant carbon content of 48.31 %, as well as relatively low nitrogen and sulfur levels, indicating that emissions during combustion are manageable. FTIR of the raw biomass identifies key functional groups such as alkanes, alkenes, and alcohols, while FTIR of the bio-oil highlights alcohols, alkanes, and aldehydes. Bio-oil has significantly higher heating values (HHV) of 22.31 MJ/kg, lower heating values (LHV) of 18.71 MJ/kg, and properties suitable for heavy oil applications, such as a density of 0.965 g/ml and kinematic viscosity of 6.4 cSt. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the bio-oil identifies several valuable compounds, including 24.9 % citral and 38.86 % 2,6-octadienal, indicating potential applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biodiesel industries. Pyrolysis yields show that bio-oil production peaks at 450 °C, while bio-char decreases and syngas increases with higher temperatures. TGA identifies three degradation stages: dehydration, devolatilization, and char formation, with different temperatures influencing yield and degradation rates. Activation energy values from the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) methods range from 120.316 to 184.299 kJ/mol, indicating that biomass conversion requires moderate energy. This comprehensive analysis emphasises the viability of pig fur biowaste as a renewable energy resource, as well as its potential for pyrolysis to produce valuable bio-oil and biochar.