• Catalytic pyrolysis of hybrid poplar (HP) was carried out in a fixed-bed reactor. • The yield of pyrolysis oil was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) • Ni loading on γ-alumina is an important independent parameter in this study. • Optimum bio-oil yield was obtained with 2.71% Ni on Alumina catalyst. • Phenol content (within bio-oil) was the highest for catalyst 10.00 NiHPA. Catalytic pyrolysis of hybrid poplar of type ASB2B was carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor. The yield of pyrolysis oil was optimized by combining a central composite design with response surface methodology. At a temperature of 549.9°C, 2.71% Ni loading on γ-alumina, and a heating rate of 39.84°C/min, the highest yield of pyrolysis oil (47.95%) was achieved. GC–MS analysis was performed on the pyrolysis oil samples. With 16.73% pure phenol, the liquid condensate yields 47.95% under optimized condition. However, the yield of bio-oil is 39.74% for phenolic compounds, including mono derivatives. Significant amounts of ether, furans, and carbonyl compounds make up 20.22, 17.25, and 9.65% of bio-oil, respectively. A good amount of fuel gases (H 2 , CH 4 , CO) were obtained under optimum conditions. As Ni loading on γ-alumina increases, coke formation decreases. Because catalytic pyrolysis is developing so quickly, it may be advantageous to use an integrated method to recover a sizable quantity of value-added chemicals, like phenol, from the pyrolysis oil process. This will result in cleaner pyrolysis oil than non-catalytic pyrolysis.
Shrivastava et al. (Fri,) studied this question.