Catalytic effect of metal powder and MCM-41/metal catalysts on the pyrolysis of cellulose

This study investigates the effect of support catalysts on the pyrolysis process of cellulose by comparing it with metal powder catalysts. MCM-41, MCM-41/Al, MCM-41/Fe, Al, and Fe metal powders were employed as catalysts, and the pyrolysis temperature was set at 350, 450, and 550?. The MCM-41 group catalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM-EDX, and SEM-EDS techniques. GC-MS and elemental analysis methods were used to analyze the liquid products. The results indicate that different catalysts can affect the energy value and product variety of cellulose pyrolysis. Specifically, Al and Fe powder catalysts yielded higher liquid product yields compared to MCM-41 group catalysts. The MCM-41 group catalysts mainly produced monoaromatic compounds, while Al and Fe powder catalysts were more effective at producing aliphatic compounds. These findings suggest that the selection of catalysts can have a significant impact on the outcome of cellulose pyrolysis.