Bio-Oil From Pyrolysis of Rice Husk

Rice husk being the hard protective covering of the grain of rice (paddy), is considered as a massive agricultural residue. Pyrolysis of rice husk for the production of bio-oil wastaken into consideration in this study. Pyrolysis was performed at 400⁰C to 650⁰C under vacuum. The optimum condition of rice husk pyrolysis was 550⁰C for 30 minutes. The products of the rice husk pyrolysis were liquid bio-oil, solid char and gaseous mixture. The optimum yield of bio-oil was 47 wt% of dry rice husk sample. The isolated bio-oil was analysed to determine the fuel properties such as calorific value, viscosity, density, pour point, flash point, water content etc. and same were found to be 16 MJ/kg, 2.19 cSt, 1.06 g/cc, -11⁰C, 115⁰C, and 25 wt%, respectively. The obtained values were then compared with typical bio-oil characteristics. The physico-chemical characterisation of bio-oil was carried out by FT-IR spectroscopy, ICP-OES and TG analysis. The bio-char was characterised for its suitability to be used as fuel as well as adsorbent by measuring its calorific value, surface area and by methylene blue adsorption test.