Innovative Açaí Seed Pre-treatment: Energized Dispersive Guided Extraction for Small-Scale Fixed-Bed Reactor Fast-Pyrolysis

Agro-industrial residues hold great potential as a renewable energy source. Brazil is the major producer of açaí (Euterpe oleracea), an economically important fruit. The processing of açaí yields a considerable volume of waste, primarily seeds that constitute approximately 80% of its overall weight. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Energized Dispersive Guided Extraction (EDGE) as a pre-treatment method for extracting the lipid fraction from açaí seeds, and to analyze the composition of the resulting bio-oil generated through Small-Scale Fixed-Bed Reactor Fast-Pyrolysis by GC×GC/QTOFMS. The suggested pre-treatment enhanced both the quantity and quality of the bio-oil while reducing the yield of biochar. The bio-oil yield obtained (21%) paralleled that of other bench-scale fixed-bed reactor systems. Phenols constituted the major class of identified compounds (59.4%), including benzenediols, alkyl-phenols, and furans. Consequently, the bio-oil derived from açaí seeds showcased valuable compounds of interest for potential applications within the chemical industry.