Teguh Suprianto, Muhammad Kasim, Darmansyah

Evaluating the Role of Extractives in Biomass Pyrolysis for Enhanced Hydrogen Syngas Production

Introduction

Evaluating the role of extractives in biomass pyrolysis for enhanced hydrogen syngas production. Learn how extractives in lignocellulosic biomass significantly boost hydrogen (H₂) syngas production through pyrolysis. High-extractive woods provide a sustainable, efficient path to H₂ energy.

Abstract

This study explores how extractive content in lignocellulosic biomass affects syngas quality during fixed-bed pyrolysis-gasification, specifically focusing on hydrogen (H₂) concentration. While woody biomass is a known energy source, the link between its non-structural organic compounds (extractives) and H₂ in syngas is often overlooked. We investigated teak, coconut, and jackfruit wood to understand this influence and optimize temperature for better biomass-to-hydrogen conversion. An MQ-8 sensor detected H₂ levels. Results show that biomass with high extractive content significantly boosts syngas H₂. Jackfruit wood yielded the highest H₂ concentration (2898 ppm at 471°C), outperforming coconut wood (1965 ppm at 444°C) by 41.7% and teak wood (1931 ppm at 395°C) by 50.1%. This is due to jackfruit's high cellulose and extractive content, which decompose efficiently at higher temperatures. Overall, high-extractive biomass improves syngas quality and expands sustainable options for hydrogen production.

Review

This study presents a compelling investigation into the often-overlooked connection between extractive content in lignocellulosic biomass and its impact on hydrogen (H₂) production during fixed-bed pyrolysis-gasification. The premise that non-structural organic compounds can significantly influence syngas quality, specifically H₂ concentration, is both novel and timely, given the global drive for sustainable energy sources. The authors’ objective to identify this influence and optimize temperature for enhanced biomass-to-hydrogen conversion addresses a critical knowledge gap, promising to expand the portfolio of viable feedstocks for renewable hydrogen generation. The research demonstrates strong experimental findings, highlighting that biomass rich in extractives markedly boosts syngas H₂ concentration. Employing teak, coconut, and jackfruit wood, the study effectively illustrates this correlation, with jackfruit wood, characterized by high cellulose and extractive content, yielding an impressive 2898 ppm H₂ at 471°C. This performance significantly surpassed that of coconut wood (1965 ppm) and teak wood (1931 ppm), by 41.7% and 50.1% respectively, at their optimal temperatures. The proposed mechanism—efficient decomposition of cellulose and extractives at elevated temperatures—provides a plausible explanation for these results. These quantitative results offer a clear direction for selecting biomass feedstocks, suggesting that high-extractive biomass holds considerable potential for improving syngas quality and diversifying sustainable hydrogen production pathways. While the abstract provides a strong case for the role of extractives, a more comprehensive analysis in the full paper would benefit from deeper characterization of the specific types and quantities of extractives within each biomass type. Additionally, while the MQ-8 sensor provides good indicative results, a more robust and precise quantification method for H₂ and other syngas components (e.g., gas chromatography with thermal conductivity detector) would strengthen the reported ppm values and allow for a complete assessment of "syngas quality." Despite these potential areas for expanded detail, the study's core findings are valuable, clearly demonstrating a significant relationship between extractive content and H₂ yield. This work makes a meaningful contribution to the field of thermochemical biomass conversion and opens promising avenues for further research into optimizing feedstock selection for hydrogen production.

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