The present work is an attempt to optimize the proportion of H-ZSM-5 and Al-MCM-41 in the catalyst mixtures for lignocellulose biomass catalytic pyrolysis. The H-ZSM-5 proportions of 50.0, 66.7, 75.0, and 87.5 wt.% were examined for the upgrading of biomass pyrolysis vapors in the fixed bed reactor. The catalyst mixture of 87.5 wt.% H-ZSM-5 and 12.5 wt.% Al-MCM-41 was found most effective in this study, giving a 65.75% deoxygenation degree. An organic-rich bio-oil was obtained with 74.90 wt.% of carbon content, 8 wt.% of hydrogen content, 15 wt.% oxygen content, a 0.39 wt.% water content, and a high heating value of 34.15 MJ/kg. The highest amount of desirable compounds among the studied catalytic experiments, which include hydrocarbons, phenols, furans, and alcohols, was obtained with a value of 95.89%. A significant improvement in the quality of bio-oil with the utilization of H-ZSM-5 and Al-MCM-41 catalyst mixtures was the rise of desirable compounds in bio-oil.

Fast pyrolysis has been a subject of intensive research thanks to its ability to produce high yields of liquid products, known as pyrolysis oil. This is an important renewable intermediate which could be used for the subsequent production of fuels and chemicals. For fossil-based materials, pyrolysis oil can provide circular building blocks. Furthermore, direct use of pyrolysis oil in gas turbines has also been proven feasible. However, a relatively high oxygen content in raw biomass has detrimental effects on the quality of such oil. This work proposes hydrothermal carbonization as a valorization technique, beneficial from the point of view of subsequent fast pyrolysis. Within the scope of this work, the influence of the parameters of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) on the kinetics of fast pyrolysis of agricultural biomass (miskanthus), as well as the influence of in situ use of a CaO catalyst, is investigated. Kinetics is investigated using a novel type of thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) called Cyclonic TGA, which is able to achieve heating rates similar to a real fast pyrolysis process. Moreover, the influence of HTC on the removal of part of its inorganic constituents is determined within the scope of this work.

The growing concerns for the environmental impact of resource depletion and carbon emissions has led to the current study of using novel, sustainable materials in natural rubber compounds. The principal goal of this study was to reduce the usage of the non-renewable filler carbon black (CB). For this purpose, two waste-derived calcium carbonates were introduced in natural rubber compounds as a partial replacement for CB. To enhance their performance, the compounds were modified using alpha-lipoic acid and a titanate as in situ coupling agents. The effect of these renewable fillers and coupling agents on the in-rubber properties was analyzed using various characterization methods. Remarkably, by replacing 10 phr of carbon black with a calcium carbonate filler and introducing the alpha-lipoic acid coupling agent, a compound was obtained with performance levels similar to the CB-filled reference compound. These findings contribute valuable insights into the replacement of carbon black with renewable calcium carbonate fillers.