Pyrolysis of casein, characterization and properties of obtained solid and liquid products

Abstract

Have been determined the technical characteristics and elemental composition of milk casein. Pyrolysis experiments of casein carried out at different heating temperatures and determined the yields of obtained solid (biochar), liquid (tar and pyrolysis water) and gas products. A temperature around 550ºC determined as an optimal heating temperature of pyrolysis and approximately 28.33% biochar, 37.38% tar, 13.23% pyrolysis water and 20.84% gas obtained after pyrolysis. First time a biochar with higher content of nitrogen was obtained by pyrolysis of casein and determined it is elemental composition and technical specifications. The porous structure of casein biochar was characterized by mercury porosimeter and SEM analysis confirmed that casein biochar has mostly meso and macro pores. The casein tar had the elemental composition: C-66.7%, H-8.3%, N-12.1%, O-12.9% and was completely soluble in 1-methyl-2-pyrroldinone. The tar consisted mostly of moderate molecular mass components with SEC elution times between 18-26 min and an estimated mass range up to 3000-5000 mass units as well as some larger size components, possibly 3-dimentional. The property and determined chemical composition of casein tar by GC/MS analysis were an evidence for using it as a curing agent for crosslinking reactions of epoxy resins. The necessary amount of tar for curing reaction of epoxy resin was determined experimentally as a 15-20% for the stoichiometric amount of reactive epoxy groups (15-20% epoxy group content) in epoxy resin and obtained cured epoxy resin with 95% degree of crosslinking reaction. Have been suggested several curing reaction schemes of epoxy resin with amines, nitriles and phenols of the casein tar