Experiment on microwave pyrolysis of crop straw bale

The characteristics of microwave pyrolysis of straw bale were studied using a microwave furnace and the composition of pyrolytic products and energy consumption analysis were also carried out. The results state that temperature distribution inside the bale is uniform and temperature rises quickly after microwave heating. Microwave input power is a key factor for microwave heating process, but heat and mass transfer inside straw bale have important influences on temperature distribution. Pyrolysis can be initiated by microwave heating, and the gaseous products are mainly composed of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, etc. Analysis of solid products was also carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N2 absorption method and the specific surface area, pore volume and pore diameter were obtained. Energy consumption of microwave pyrolysis is large, which can be improved by selecting suitable microwave power and the size of straw bale. Those results obtained from microwave pyrolysis provide foundational data for the new utilization of crop straw resources.