LAUSR

Abstract The aim of this paper was to investigate biomass pyrolysis using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) studies. The pyrolysis tests were conducted in a nitrogen atmosphere from room temperature (RT) to 600 °C. Infrared techniques provide fast, low-cost and non-destructive analysis. A combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis was applied. Pyrolysis was conducted in an environmental chamber which enabled in-situ spectral measurement. The mass of samples used in DRIFT tests was 3.0 ± 0.1 mg. A semi-quantitative analysis of the oxidation stage was performed for each biomass sample. For a variety of biomass samples, pyrolysis in the temperature range of 250–350° lead to an increase in carbon-carbon double bonds which were formed from cellulose decomposition. The research results showed that the wavenumber assigned to the C O band in carboxylic acids and esters (1742 cm−1) depends on the temperature and varies with different biomass samples. Also, the intensity of the C O band for ketones and aldehydes (1665 cm−1) varies with the type of biomass and the pyrolysis temperature. Principal component analysis (PCA) gave information about the similarity of reactions occurring during the pyrolysis of various biomass samples. Efficient conversion of biomass resources to energy requires accurate and detailed knowledge of chemical behaviour during degradation.