Production and characterization of bio-oil from pyrolysis of Gaharu waste

Gaharu is known as the most expensive wood in the world because it can be used in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and used extensively in incense and perfume. However, the gaharu residue are still not been used for any purpose and just been drawn as waste. In this research, the gaharu waste was used to produce bio oil as alternative for replaced the depending on the petroleum source. The method used for the experiment was slow pyrolysis. Firstly, the gaharu waste was collected at Bukit Larut, Kuala Lipis and then dried it at room temperature before ground and sieved it for the experiment. The reactor used in this research was fixed bed reactor with electrical furnace heat externally. The mass of the product bio oil produced was measured to analyze the percent yield of bio oil obtained. The experiments were conducted at differences range of temperature that are 400, 500 and 600 ˚C. The heating rate used was constant at rate 1000°c/min and the nitrogen supply at flow rate 0.5 liter/min. The product of bio oil then characterized using Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTIR),Gas Chromatography (GC-MS), Bomb calorimeter and CHNS analyzer, Thermo gravimetric Analysis (TGA). From the result obtained after pyrolysis, at the temperature 500°c was indicated as the best condition to give the highest product yield. The maximum yield of the bio oil produced from these conditions was 26.8%. Based on GCMS and FTIR analysis, it was shown that the pyrolysis oils from gaharu waste contains complex compounds mostly functional groups of phenol, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and carboxylic acids,aromatic and also carbonyl structures. The heating value for the bio oil produced also lower than petroleum that was 23.75 MJ/kg