Pyrolytic Production and Characterization of Bio-oil from Lantana camara

Abstract

Depletion of fossil fuels and growing environmental concerns compel the search for alternative renewable liquid fuels as a sustainable energy source. This study investigated the feasibility of the invasive woody shrub Lantana camara as a pyrolysis-based bio-oil feedstock. Crude biochar, bio-oil (BO), and non-condensable gases were produced by pyrolyzing dried powdered biomass samples in a batch reactor without oxygen at temperatures between 400°C and 500°C. The oxygen-rich, acid-rich, and unstable raw bio-oil was upgraded using dichloromethane (DCM) extraction and fractional distillation processes. The produced distilled bio-oil (DBO) showed better physicochemical properties with decreased acidity, increased stability, density of 1028 kg , viscosity of 5.41 cSt, and a flash point of 60°C to 90°C. Analyses such as gross heat of combustion, flash and fire point validated the improved combustion quality and favorable chemical characteristics achieved upon upgrading. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) was used to characterize the DBO chemically.  The results demonstrated that Lantana camara biomass can be effectively converted into a carbon-neutral liquid fuel with the combined advantages of producing renewable energy and managing Lantana camara ecologically.