Experimental Investigation of the Decomposition and Calcination of Calcium-Enriched Bio-Oil

The subject of this study is the experimental investigation of the decomposition of calcium-enriched bio-oil (CEB), the product of the reaction of bio-oil with calcium hydroxide, at high temperatures and of the calcination of the CaCO 3 material that is obtained when the decomposition is carried out in the presence of CO 2 . Decomposition and calcination experiments are conducted in a thermogravimetric analysis system, and the pore structures of dried, decomposed, and calcined samples are characterized using nitrogen adsorption−desorption, mercury intrusion−extrusion, and photomicrographic examination. The calcination results for CEB-derived CaCO 3 are compared with those for two naturally occurring calcitic solids of high CaCO 3 content. The pore structure characterization results show that the decomposition and calcination products of CEB have very high porosities, higher than 80−90%. Because of its high porosity, the calcination product exhibits a much higher calcination rate than particles of limestones and calcites with a characteristic size similar to that of the CEB layer. This indicates that calcium-enriched bio-oil might perform as a more efficient sorbent than limestones for SO 2 capture in fossil fuel combustors.