Enhancing wood vinegar quality: Integrated pyrolysis process of cajuput ( Melaleuca leucadendron ) twigs biomass with gas-phase adsorption using zeolite adsorbents

Zeolite, being a porous material, can be used as an adsorbent. This study investigated the effect of gas phase adsorption using zeolite on wood vinegar (WV) characteristics from cajuput twig, which was pyrolyzed for 5 h at 500 degrees C. The WV composition of functional and toxic compounds was investigated using GC-MS. The antibacterial method involved Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas the antioxidant activity was determined by the ABTS method. Gas phase adsorption using zeolite can enhance the quality of WV, with the highest MIC indicating the two types of bacteria being 3.12 % and the highest antioxidant activity (IC50) being 2074.43 ppm. The functional compounds comprise acids, phenols, furans, and pyrans. The reduction efficiency for tar was 14.61 %, while toxic PAH compounds amounted to 79.45 %. Therefore, zeolite is recommended as a suitable adsorbent for WV production use in the pyrolysis system to reduce tar and PAH content.