Degradation Rate of Green Macroalgae into Bio-oil via Slow-Pyrolysis

Abstract

This research study examined the pyrolysis of green macroalgae (Ulva lactuca) for the first time. In addition, the reaction kinetics of the solid degradation that took place during the pyrolysis process of Ulva lactuca were examined and figured out. Several experiments were carried out in a batch reactor to study the impact of the different pyrolysis temperatures (400-600 oC). Within 50 min at a temperature of 500 °C, the most bio-oil was produced (24.1%). Using the Arrhenius equation, the pre-exponential factor and activation energy fo the solid degradation was calculated for the first time as 3.51x1010s-1 and 126.46 kJmol-1, respectively. This was the first time these values had been determined.