Fast pyrolysis of palm kernel cake using a fluidized bed reactor: Design of experiment and characteristics of bio-oil

In this study, the central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was employed to investigate the effects of the feedstock feed rate, biomass particle size, pyrolysis temperature, and residence time on the fast pyrolysis of palm kernel cake. A mathematical model for the liquid product yield was developed and applied to obtain a maximum yield of 49.5 wt%. The GC–MS analyses of the bio-oils at the two different temperatures of 400 and 500 °C showed that they were a complex mixture composed of mostly oxygenated compounds including β-D-allose, derivatives of furan and phenol, and a considerable amount of fatty acids.