Co-pyrolysis of paper waste and mustard press cake in a semi-batch pyrolyzer-optimization and bio-oil characterization

Under the present research study, the co-pyrolysis of paper waste and mustard press cake was conducted in a 50 mm diameter and 640 mm long semi-batch pyrolyzer in the temperature range of 673 to 1173 K in nitrogen atmosphere and synergistic relationship between the pyrolysis of two feed stocks has been observed. The paper wastes were composed of local packing paper, newspaper-based food packets of grocery, and printing paper in the ratio of 6:3:1. During co-pyrolysis, response surface methodology (RSM) technique has been employed using Design Expert Version 7.0.0 to determine the collective effects of factors, namely, A:ratio of paper waste to mustard press cake and B:pyrolysis temperature, on the yield of bio-oil, energy yield, and oxygen content of bio-oil. Optimization has been done by using RSM to identify the individual sets of values of independent parameters corresponding to maximum bio-oil yield (A:9.0:1, B:874.75 K), energy yield (A:8.80:1, B:812 K), and minimum oxygen content of bio-oil (A:2.75:1, B:883.06 K). Bio-oil obtained at maximum energy yield condition has been characterized using the Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopic analyses. The array of compounds present in the bio-oil compounds has been compared with literature data available on pyro-oil obtained from similar feed stocks.