Catalytic Pyrolysis of Coconut Fiber with MgCl 2 : Enhancing Thermal Degradation Kinetics and Product Selectivity

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Coconut fiber (CCF), a lignocellulosic biomass, presents significant potential for renewable energy production through pyrolysis. This study investigates the catalytic pyrolysis of CCF in a fixed-bed reactor, focusing on the effects of temperature (623–723 K) and magnesium chloride (MgCl 2 ) concentration (0–10%) on product yields and properties. Proximate and elemental analyses were used to characterize CCF’s composition, while thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at heating rates of 20–50 K/min assessed thermal degradation kinetics using the Reparametrized Global Reaction (RGR) model. The kinetic analysis confirmed that MgCl 2 reduced activation energy from 56.3 kJ·mol –1 to 29.3 kJ·mol –1, enhancing devolatilization efficiency. Pyrolysis experiments yielded bio-oil, biochar, and gas in the ranges of 47.4–52.4%, 29.7–37.2%, and 15.4–17.9%, respectively, depending on operating conditions. Higher temperatures increased bio-oil yield, peaking at 52.36% at 723 K without MgCl 2, while 10% MgCl 2 enhanced biochar production to 58.65% with fixed carbon contents up to 62.0% and higher heating values ranging from 22.4 to 25.1 MJ·kg –1 . Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) showed that MgCl 2 promoted aldehyde formation (e.g., furfural) via hemicellulose dehydration, whereas higher temperatures favored phenolic compounds from lignin degradation. These findings highlight MgCl 2 ’s role in tailoring pyrolysis pathways for optimized bio-oil and biochar production, offering insights into sustainable biomass conversion for energy and carbon sequestration applications.