Thermochemical conversion of silkworm by-product into syngas

초록

This study explored the valorisation of silkworm by-product, a major by-product of the silk industry (sericulture), which amounts to 16 million tonnes annually. The focus was on transforming waste into energy resources through pyrolysis under CO 2 conditions. In one -stage pyrolysis, the evolution of syngas under N 2 was found to be comparable to that under CO 2 . A notable allocation of carbon to biocrude rather than syngas was observed. The two -stage pyrolysis resulted in increased syngas production. However, achieving a homogeneous reaction between CO 2 and the volatiles liberated from silkworm byproduct proved challenging. Indeed, the reaction kinetics governing CO 2 reactivity was not fast although the temperature windows of the reaction were aligned in the twostage pyrolysis. To address this issue, pyrolysis was performed using a Ni-based catalyst to expedite the reaction kinetics. Consequently, syngas formation, particularly CO formation, was significantly enhanced under CO 2 conditions compared to that under N 2 conditions. The syngas yield under CO 2 was 36.42 wt% which was 2 -fold higher than that of N 2 . This suggested the potential of CO 2 altering the carbon distribution from biocrude to syngas. This strategy would contribute to the establishment of sustainable production of silk by converting sericulture by-product into energy/chemical resources.

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