Thermal Properties of Biochars Derived from Waste Biomass Generated by Agricultural and Forestry Sectors

Waste residues produced by agricultural and forestry industries can generate energy and are regarded as a promising source of sustainable fuels. Pyrolysis, where waste biomass is heated under low-oxygen conditions, has recently attracted attention as a means to add value to these residues. The mater...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energies (Basel) 2017-04, Vol.10 (4), p.469
Main Authors: Yang, Xing, Wang, Hailong, Strong, Peter, Xu, Song, Liu, Shujuan, Lu, Kouping, Sheng, Kuichuan, Guo, Jia, Che, Lei, He, Lizhi, Ok, Yong, Yuan, Guodong, Shen, Ying, Chen, Xin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural wastes
Ashes
biochar
Biomass
Calorific value
Carbon
Charcoal
Crop residues
Flux density
Forest biomass
Forestry
Hardwoods
higher heating value (HHV)
proximate analysis
Pyrolysis
renewable energy
Residues
Sawdust
Straw
Thermal properties
Volatile solids
Wood
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Summary:Waste residues produced by agricultural and forestry industries can generate energy and are regarded as a promising source of sustainable fuels. Pyrolysis, where waste biomass is heated under low-oxygen conditions, has recently attracted attention as a means to add value to these residues. The material is carbonized and yields a solid product known as biochar. In this study, eight types of biomass were evaluated for their suitability as raw material to produce biochar. Material was pyrolyzed at either 350 °C or 500 °C and changes in ash content, volatile solids, fixed carbon, higher heating value (HHV) and yield were assessed. For pyrolysis at 350 °C, significant correlations (p < 0.01) between the biochars’ ash and fixed carbon content and their HHVs were observed. Masson pine wood and Chinese fir wood biochars pyrolyzed at 350 °C and the bamboo sawdust biochar pyrolyzed at 500 °C were suitable for direct use in fuel applications, as reflected by their higher HHVs, higher energy density, greater fixed carbon and lower ash contents. Rice straw was a poor substrate as the resultant biochar contained less than 60% fixed carbon and a relatively low HHV. Of the suitable residues, carbonization via pyrolysis is a promising technology to add value to pecan shells and Miscanthus.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en10040469