Potential use of corn leaf waste for biofuel production in Jordan (physio-chemical study)

Abstract The increase in energy demand, especially in Jordan, has encouraged researchers to consider alternative sources of energy, such as biofuel production from agricultural waste. For this study, Jordanian corn leaf waste was characterized by ultimate and proximate analysis, TGA, FTIR and solid state 13C NMR. The waste showed high volatile matter, high atomic H/C ratio and high O content. The corn leaf waste contained 32.1 wt% cellulose, 18.1 wt% hemicelluloses and 11.9 wt% lignin. The FTIR and 13C NMR spectrums showed high concentrations of aliphatic and carbonyl carbon. The corn leaf waste was pyrolysed in a temperature range of 300-450oC under a constant flow rate of nitrogen. Higher oil yield was obtained at pyrolysis temperature of 450oC. The gas yield and higher heating value of the product increased as the temperature increased, whereas the water content decreased. The biofuels were rich in carbon and had a high oxygen content, which decreased as the temperature increased. The 1H NMR confirmed the markedly aliphatic character of the biofuel. The GC-MS for the biofuel indicated the presence of hydrocarbon series, large amounts of oxygenated compounds and a few nitrogen and sulfur compounds. The simulated distillation showed a high proportion of diesel fraction (57-73%).