Characterization of the decomposition behaviors of catalytic pyrolysis of wood using copper and potassium over thermogravimetric and Py-GC/MS analysis Shiyou Xing a, b, c , Haoran Yuan a, b, d, * , Huhetaoli a, b, d , Yujie Qi a, b , Pengmei Lv a, b, d, ** , Zhenhong Yuan a, b, d , Yong Chen a, b a Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China b Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China c University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China d Guangdong Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou, 510640, China article info Article history: Received 24 March 2016 Received in revised form 26 July 2016 Accepted 30 July 2016 Keywords: Thermogravimetric analysis Pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy Wood pyrolysis Copper Potassium Bio-fuel abstract Characterizing the pyrolysis of inorganic matter-rich biomass is important for the preparation of bio-fuel precursors. Here, thermogravimetric and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (Py-GC/MS) were employed to elucidate the specific pyrolysis mechanisms of demineralized wood dust (AWD) impregnated with varying amounts of the inorganic compounds, copper and potassium. During the pyrolysis process, there was a dramatic decomposition of hemicellulose (at 200e320  C) and of cellulose (at 320e420  C), along with slow lignin degradation. The decomposition of hemicellulose was sub- stantially promoted with an increasing amount of copper. In addition, a decreased amount of aldehydes and phenols was observed, indicating a lower level of cellulose and lignin degradation, which led to more generation of bio-fuel precursors (C 5 eC 16 ). In contrast to copper, potassium substantially promoted the decomposition of cellulose and lignin, but had negligible effect on hemicellulose. In the presence of both copper and potassium, the latter had a more dominant role causing an increased amount of small mo- lecular compounds (C 2 eC 4, i.e., from 10.91% to 22.12%), and decreased amounts of bio-fuel precursors (i.e., from 62.19% to 52.49%). The various decomposition pathways that might be involved in the catalytic pyrolysis of wood using copper and potassium are discussed. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The rapid and on-going expansion of the transport industry following the high-speed developments in the Worldwide econ- omy, have substantially aggravated the problem of global warming due to abundant carbon dioxide emissions [1,2]. The development of sustainable alternative bio-fuels following a resolution set by the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), will reduce the overall carbon footprint by around 80% over their full life-cycle [3]. Such low-carbon bio-fuels are mainly derived from biomass, including plants, vegetable oils, and microalgae oils, which are able to meet all of the environmental, economic and socially sustainable goals set for the transportation industry. Wood is a commonly used type of biomass, which has already attracted much attention for the production of renewable fuels as it is in plentiful supply and at low- price [4]. There are a number of methods used to convert biomass into biofuel, including both thermochemical and biochemical ap- proaches [5]. Fast pyrolysis of biomass has proved to be much cheaper than other conversion methods such as gasification and fermentation [6], and the hydrogenated or upgraded pyrolysis oils generated have been identified as an inexpensive renewable liquid fuels [7e13]. Hence, the pyrolytic conversion of natural biomass into bio-fuel precursors with specific properties for industrial application has been substantially investigated in recent years. A number of studies have reported the pyrolysis of common types of biomass for bio-fuel precursors, and indicated that the physicochemical properties of these precursors are substantially affected by various factors, including the composition of the * Corresponding author. Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China. ** Corresponding author. Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China. E-mail addresses: yuanhr@ms.giec.ac.cn (H. Yuan), lvpm@ms.giec.ac.cn (P. Lv). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Energy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.07.154 0360-5442/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Energy 114 (2016) 634e646