Title:Eucalyptus Bark as Source of Bio-oil or Phenolic Compounds
Volume: 4
Issue: 2
Author(s): Alcides L. Leão*, Ivana Cesarino, Otávio A. T. Dias, Mirela B. Carnietto and Mohini Sain
Affiliation:
- School of Agriculture, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, 18610-034,Brazil
Keywords:
Pyrolysis, phenolic compounds, bio-oil, bioenergy, biomass, forestry wastes.
Abstract:
Background: Eucalyptus bark and scraps are generated in the production of mediumdensity
fiberboard (MDF). An approach aiming to add value to such wastes was studied, following
the concepts of circular economy and biomass cascade strategy. Bio-oil and phenolic resin were
produced by pyrolysis from two types of biomass, Eucalyptus bark and MDF waste. As is well
known, conventional phenolic resins are normally obtained from fossil resources. These products
were obtained from the pyrolysis of two types of biomass to reduce environmental waste and dependence
on petroleum-based products.
Objective: The main objective of the present study was to produce phenolic resin from Eucalyptus
wastes, aiming to reduce the fossil dependence on conventional resins used in the production line
of MDF.
Methods: Fast pyrolysis and slow pyrolysis were employed for bio-oil and phenolic resin production.
The bio-oil and resins were characterized with standard lab analyses for their physicochemical
properties, while their thermal properties were studied via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
Results: The shear strength of the lap internal bonding of the phenolic resin binders with 19.8% of
bio-oil was 2.09, 1.34, and 1.63 MPa under dry, boiler, and soaked conditions, respectively, which
was acceptable for panel fabrication and can represent a significant saving in terms of fossil resins
and cost reduction.
Discussion: According to the results, 1 g medium fraction of bio-oils was equivalent to 1.35 g of
conventional phenols, indicating those bio-oils as phenolic structures that could be used as binders.
The bio-oil yields for bark and MDF were 40.9 and 25.1, respectively, which indicate a potential
for replacing the conventional fossil-based phenolic resin.
Conclusion: The results revealed the possibility of replacing conventional fossil-based chemicals
with phenolic resin from renewable resources with similar overall properties, replacing about 1/3
of the conventional resin.
