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Exploring the Potential of Biomass Pyrolysis for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Production: A Comparative Study of Corn Cob, Vine Rod, and Sunflower

Author

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  • Simona Domazetovska

    (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Skopje, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia)

  • Vladimir Strezov

    (School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia)

  • Risto V. Filkoski

    (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Skopje, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia)

  • Tao Kan

    (School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
    CSIRO, Research Way, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia)

Abstract

The paper investigates the potential of biomass pyrolysis as a sustainable and renewable energy solution. The study focuses on three biomass types: corn cob, vine rod, and sunflower, which are abundant agricultural residues with potential for biofuel production. The pyrolytic gas, oil, and char produced during pyrolysis at a heating rate of 10 °C/min were analyzed. At the pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C, the corn cob showed the smallest final residual mass of 24%, while the vine rod exhibited the largest mass loss of 40%. Gas analysis revealed the concentrations of CO 2 , CO, H 2 , and CH 4 in the pyrolytic gas, indicating its energy potential. Sunflower presented the largest calorific value of the produced biogas, while corn cob was the lowest. The chemical composition of the bio-oils was determined, with aliphatic acids identified as the dominant compounds, suggesting their potential for biodiesel production. Fourier Transform–Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis of raw biomass and char products demonstrated varying extents of decomposition among the biomass samples. A multicriteria assessment approach was employed to evaluate the differences between the selected three biomass feedstock and determined that sunflower biomass ranked the highest among the three, although the overall difference was small, confirming the suitability of all three biomass samples for pyrolysis conversion to higher-value-added fuels.

Suggested Citation

  • Simona Domazetovska & Vladimir Strezov & Risto V. Filkoski & Tao Kan, 2023. "Exploring the Potential of Biomass Pyrolysis for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Production: A Comparative Study of Corn Cob, Vine Rod, and Sunflower," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:18:p:13552-:d:1237304
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Chiaramonti, David & Prussi, Matteo & Buffi, Marco & Rizzo, Andrea Maria & Pari, Luigi, 2017. "Review and experimental study on pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae for biofuel production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 963-972.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fanbin Meng & Donghai Wang, 2025. "New Strategies for Sustainable Biofuel Production: Pyrolytic Poly-Generation of Biomass," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-19, February.

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