The combined process of pyrolysis and catalytic cracking of rice straw using ZSM-5 and γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst prepared by physically mixing

Rice straw contains high lignocellulose so it can be used as a raw material for producing bio-oil through pyrolysis process. The combined with catalytic cracking, the product of bio-oil could be shifted to the certain compound toward cyclohexene selectively using catalyst. Cyclohexene is important compound as the precursor of bio-polymer adipic acid that the route lead to the manufacture of nylon 6,6. This study is to give insight the possibility to produce cyclohexene from rice straw as renewable source material with variation of catalyst composition and the temperature. The ZSM-5/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst composition is varied to observe the effect on its product distribution mainly on the influence in producing the target products. By this way, the optimum catalyst composition to maximize the target products could be confirmed. The bio-oil product and the product of catalytic cracking were characterized by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). The result showed that the using of catalyst composition with 60% ZSM-5 and 40% Al₂O₃, the yield of cyclohexene up to 61.12% has been achieved as the main product under pyrolysis condition of 425°C in the atmospheric condition with 80 ml/min nitrogen flowrate.