The effect of NaOH treatment of rice husk on its catalytic fast pyrolysis under decomposed methane for the production of aromatics

Here, catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) was studied as a method to valorize rice husk (RH). Specifically, the effects of RH pretreatment, i.e., NaOH treatment, on the CFP efficiency and selectivity over a Ga-loaded HZSM-5 (SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio = 38) were investigated. In addition to NaOH pretreatment, it was investigated how pyrolysis medium (N₂, CH₄, or a gas stream evolved from ex-situ CH₄ decomposition over a Ni/La₂O₃/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ catalyst (Ni/La₂O₃/CeO₂ = 2/1/1) at 923 K (d-CH₄)) influences the CFP of pretreated RH. The NaOH treatment reduced the content of ash and increased the content of cellulose in the RH sample. Thus, the effect of pyrolysis medium on the CFP of cellulose was studied at first, followed by that on CFP of NaOH-treated RH. With regard to the pyrolysis medium, the yield of aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) achieved with both cellulose and the NaOH-treated RH enhanced in an order; d-CH₄ > CH₄ > N₂. The removal of ash from RH with the NaOH pretreatment increased the BTEX yield up to 22.3 wt% as ash (mineral impurities) affects pyrolytic behavior of cellulose and lowers accessibility of pyrolytic volatiles to acid sites on zeolite. This study gives helpful information about how different parameters influence the conversion of RH into BTEX via CFP process.