TG-FTIR Analysis on Sawdust Catalytic Pyrolysis with CaO

Due to the global warming and energy crisis, the utilization of biomass in zero emission system has aroused more attention. In this study, the effect of catalyst CaO on sawdust pyrolysis was investigated using a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared analyzer (TG-FTIR). The thermogravimetric analysis showed that the characteristics of sawdust pyrolysis were affected by CaO addition, which presented two main stages of volatile releasing and increased residue yield. With increasing CaO addition, the weight loss in the first main stage decreased but that in the second stage increased, and the pyrolysis reaction moved to higher temperatures. With increasing heating rate, the weight loss in the first main stage decreased and the reaction shifted to lower temperatures.