A new strategy of preparing high-value products by co-pyrolysis of bamboo and ZIF-8

To improve the pore structure of biochar, the H2 yield of gas, and the quality of bio-oil in biomass pyrolysis, a new pyrolysis strategy of co-pyrolyzing bamboo and Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIF-8) at different temperatures and mixing ratios was proposed. Results showed that ZIF-8 blending improved the quality of pyrolytic products. For biochar, the specific surface area was increased tenfold from 49.63 m2/g for raw bamboo to 557.37 m2/g with a 4:1 mass ratio of bamboo to ZIF-8 at 900 °C. And hierarchical porous biochars were formed. For gas, the H2 yield was increased significantly from 4.35 mmol/g (32.84 vol%) for raw bamboo to 7.87 mmol/g (43.73 vol%) with a 4:1 mass ratio of bamboo to ZIF-8 at 900 °C. For bio-oil, ZIF-8 blending promoted the conversion of bamboo to acetic acids, furans, and cyclopentanones, while inhibiting the formation of polyaromatic compounds, showing that ZIF-8 could enhance the secondary cracking of volatiles and promote the branch chain fracture, dehydrogenation, ring-opening and decarbonylation of bamboo. These results indicated that ZIF-8 had excellent effects on bamboo pyrolysis to produce high-value products, and it was enlightening for biomass thermal conversion utilization. [Display omitted] •ZIF-8 was first used in bamboo pyrolysis to prepare high-value products.•ZIF-8 increases the specific surface area of biochar tenfold by pore-forming.•The dehydrogenation effect of ZIF-8 resulted in a high H2 yield of 7.87 mmol/g.•ZIF-8 promotes the conversion of bamboo to acetic acid and cyclopentanone.