Oxygen migration characteristics during bamboo torrefaction process based on the properties of torrefied solid, gaseous, and liquid products

• Published in: Biomass & bioenergy 2019-09, Vol.128, p.105300, Article 105300
• Main Authors: Ma, Zhongqing, Zhang, Yu, Shen, Yunfang, Wang, Junhao, Yang, Youyou, Zhang, Wenbiao, Wang, Shurong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bamboo biomass; Deoxygenation mechanism; Gaseous product; Liquid product; Solid product; Torrefaction
• ISSN: 0961-9534; 1873-2909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2019.105300

Bamboo is a potentially renewable biomass resource which can be converted into bio-fuels and bio-chemicals by thermochemical conversion technology. Torrefaction deoxygenation pretreatment can effectively upgrade bamboo into high-grade fuels with a lower content of water and higher energy density. Therefore, it is essential to establish the deoxygenation mechanism and oxygen migration characteristics during the bamboo torrefaction process, based on the properties of torrefied solid, gaseous, and liquid products. In this study, these three types of torrefied product (solid, gaseous, and liquid) were produced at different torrefaction temperatures (210, 240, 270 and 300 °C) by the tube furnace, TGA−FTIR, and Py−GC/MS. Results showed that following a series of deoxygenation reactions, the oxygen removal efficiency of bamboo reached a maximum of 28.52% at 300 °C, resulting in the highest HHV of 23.12 MJ kg−1. Oxygen in the torrefied solid product was released in the form of torrefied gaseous components (CO2, H2O and CO) and torrefied liquid oxygen-containing compounds (E.g. acids, phenols, furans and ketones). CO2 was the dominant oxygen carrier in the torrefied gaseous product, with oxygen distribution in the torrefied gaseous components ranked in the order: CO2 (82.1–86.6%) > CO (10.9–13.9%) > H2O (2.4–4.1%). In the torrefied liquid product, oxygen transferred to acids, furans, ketones and aldehydes was favored under lower torrefaction temperatures, while more oxygen was transferred to phenols under higher torrefaction temperatures. [Display omitted] •Deoxygenation mechanism of biomass torrefaction was analyzed based on the torrefied gaseous and liquid product.•CO2 was the dominant oxygen removal carrier in gaseous product.•Oxygen favored transfer into acids, furans, ketones and aldehydes in liquid product at lower temperatures.•More oxygen was transferred into phenols in liquid product at higher temperatures.