Experimental analysis about the exploitation of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) in pyrolysis

The pyrolytic conversion of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa), subjected to various pretreatments, and its parts (woody core and fibers) has been investigated. For the conditions of thermal analysis, dominated by primary decomposition, the qualitative features of hemp and woody core devolatilization are practically coincident with those of wheat straw and beech wood, respectively. Retting and decortication significantly affect the magnitude and position of the peak rate and the char yield. Fiber decomposition, though reflecting the qualitative behavior of the majoritarian component cellulose, is deeply affected by hemicellulose/lignin/ash contamination. Packed-bed pyrolysis reproduces the qualitative similarities between hemp and wheat straw, on one side, and woody core and beech wood, on the other, mainly in relation to the thermal field (magnitude of reaction-induced overheating) with differences in the yields/composition of the lumped classes of products.