Distillation experiments
Fig. 2 illustrates the distillation set-up used in this study. The set-up consisted of distillation flasks, fractionating column, condenser, cowhead adapter and receiving flasks. During vacuum distillation, the cowhead adapter was connected to a vacuum source. In a typical distillation run, approximately 10 g of bio-oil was put in a pre-weighed boiling flask with boiling chips to prevent bumping during the process. The heater was turned on and the temperature in the vigraeux column was monitored. Fractions were collected at various boiling point ranges as shown in Table 2. The cowhead adapter was turned as each fraction was collected in pre-weighed vials. Each fraction was weighed and the yield for each fraction was calculated using the original amount of bio-oil processed. The experiments were performed in triplicates following a general factorial design with pressure-boiling point range as factor.