Evaluation of beech for production of bio-char, bio-oil and gaseous materials

Evaluation of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) was investigated with aspect of thermochemical conversion to obtain bio-char, bio-oil and gaseous. When the pyrolysis temperature increased, the bio-char yield decreased. A high temperature and smaller particles increase the heating rate resulting in a decreased bio-char yield. The bio-char obtained are carbon rich, with high heating value and relatively pollution-free potential solid biofuel. The liquefaction yield sharply increased with increasing the temperature near critical temperature and after that. In the pyrolysis, increases of liquid yields are considerably sharply for all of the samples with increasing of pyrolysis temperature from 690K to 720K. The beechnut oil was converted to biodiesel in supercritical methanol without using the catalyst. Experiments have been carried out in an autoclave at 493, 523 and 593K, and with molar ratios of 1:6-1:40 of the oil to methanol. The yield of alkyl ester increased with increasing the molar ratio of oil to alcohol. (C) 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.