Examinando por Autor "Dufour, J."

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Insights on the acetic acid pretreatment of wheat straw: Changes induced in the biomass properties and benefits for the bio-oil production by pyrolysis
(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Pagano, M.; Hernando, H.; Cueto, J.; Cruz, P.L.; Dufour, J.; Moreno, I.; Serrano, D.P.
This work discloses how the pretreatment of wheat straw with acetic acid (AA) solutions modifies the biomass composition, strongly affecting the pyrolysis product distribution. AA in diluted solutions is a renewable and eco-friendly reagent, being also one of the main components of the pyrolysis bio-oil* (water-free basis). In comparison with water and diluted ammonia treatments, AA washing leads to a higher removal degree of alkali and alkaline-earth elements (AAEMs) from the biomass ash. In addition, the AA pretreatment reduces the content of char and gas precursors, as is the case of soluble lignin and extractives. Consequently, the bio-oil* yield is drastically increased up to ∼53 wt% during the pyrolysis of the AA washed wheat straw, being much higher than the value obtained for the raw biomass (∼35 wt%). Likewise, the bio-oil* composition is highly improved by the pretreatment with AA, dramatically increasing the concentration and yield of levoglucosan, which is a valuable precursor to produce both advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals. In contrast, the opposite occurs during the pyrolysis of the extracted matter samples, recovered from the washing solutions, since its high content of AAEMs, lignin and extractives promotes the formation of char and gases in the detriment of the bio-oil fraction. Based on a preliminary technoeconomic analysis, it is concluded that pretreatment with AA solutions may improve significantly the economic performance of the wheat straw pyrolysis process. This is due to the increased incomes coming from the higher yield of both bio-oil* and levoglucosan that largely compensate the additional capital and fresh AA costs.
Synthesis of Fe304-based catalysts for the high temperature water gas shift reaction
(ELSEVIER, 2009) Martos, C.; Dufour, J.; Ruiz, A.
The water gas shift reaction is an essential process to adjust the CO/H2 ratio in the industrial production of hydrogen. FeCr catalysts have been widely used in this reaction at high temperature but have environmental and safety concerns related to chromium content. In this work the replacement of chromium by molybdenum in magnetite-based catalysts is studied. The materials were prepared by oxidation-precipitation and wet impregnation and they were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy and temperature programmed reduction. Specific surface areas of samples were also measured. The results obtained indicate that molybdenum increases thermal stability of the magnetite active phase and prevents metallic iron formation during the reaction. The oxidation-precipitation method allows obtaining the material directly in the active phase and molybdenum is incorporated into magnetite lattice.